


Lesbian Hallmark Movie

by silverwriter01



Series: Holiday Hallmark [1]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2019-02-18 18:54:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 33,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13106418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silverwriter01/pseuds/silverwriter01
Summary: Kara Zor-El is one of Santa's helpers and has gotten into trouble far too many times. Santa gives her one last chance. She has to teach the cold-hearted Agent Alex Danvers the true meaning of Christmas or she'll never be allowed back to the North Pole.





	1. 11 Years Ago

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was inspired by a Tumblr post.
> 
> “You’re a cold-hearted businesswoman and I’m one of Santa’s Elves whose been put on probation and if I can’t teach you the true meaning of Christmas, they’ll never let me back in the North Pole.” – Lesbian Hallmark Christmas movie idea by bedannibal-lectaurier

Kara Zor-El knew her pod had landed, but she was having trouble opening her eyes to look around. She suspected it was lingering effects of cryosleep. She opened them with a tremendous force of will and immediately shut them as she was blinded by an intense, white light. For a moment she worried she was flying directly into a sun, but then remembered she was on ground.

Kara gasped and flinched back as she heard the lid of her pod open. She felt a cool breeze of fresh air, but she couldn’t blame the air for her trembling. She forced her eyes back open despite the pain of the bright light. She could only make out a blurry figure.

“Who’s there?” She cried out in Kryptonian. She repeated the phrase in English, Mandarin, and various other languages. The pod had implanted the languages of Earth in her head while she slept.

“It’s okay, child. You’re safe,” A kind, male voice replied in English. “My name is J’onn J’onzz. You landed at the North Pole. It’s okay to be disoriented. It’s very bright here, and your eyes are used to the darkness of space.”

Kara nodded as she covered her eyes. The pair sat in silence until she was able to look around without pain. She instantly understood why it took so long for her to regain her sight. Everything was covered in an incredibly white snow as far as her eyes could see. She looked over at the man who knelt beside her pod. His dark skin and red clothes contrasted with everything around them.

He held out his hand and repeated, “My name is J’onn J’onzz. I’m not from this planet either. I come from the planet Mars, and I’m the last Green Martian. I’m the last of my kind.”

Kara hesitantly reached out to take his hand and allowed herself to be lifted out of the pod. “I’m Kara Zor-El from the planet Krypton. I’m the last of my kind too because…”

She bit her lip to keep from crying. She wasn’t ready to talk about her planet exploding.

J’onn placed a hand on her shoulder. “I understand. Would you like to come back to my workshop? We can get you some proper clothes. Are you cold?”

Kara shook her head. She knew she should be, but she wasn’t. This must have been one of the superpowers her mother mentioned.

“What’s that?” She pointed, taking a step behind J’onn when she noticed the massive, brown quadruped.  

J’onn half turned and smiled. “That’s one of my reindeer. This is Vixen. Don’t be afraid. She’s very friendly. Dasher is around here somewhere.”

Kara cautiously looked at the reindeer again. “How many of those do you have?”

“There are eight of them. They’ll help pull your spaceship back to the workshop if you’d like to come with me.”

“Workshop?”

J’onn smiled again. “Yes. I’m something of a toymaker, and I have lots of little elves who help me. I have brought toys to all the nice children in the world for centuries. I’m able to change my shape to match whatever the humans want me to be.”

He changed forms in front of her. The tall, clean-shaven, dark-skinned man turned into a shorter, plump, white-skinned man with a long beard. “I have various names around the world. Most humans call me Santa Claus. The elves call me Santa too. You may call me J’onn or Santa, whichever you are comfortable with.”

“What is your original form?” Kara asked. She watched as the plump figure changed to a tall, broad green-skinned humanoid in black armor. J’onn held out his hand, and Kara took it. Together, they started the walk back to his shop.

“J’onn, what will happen to me?”

“You are welcome to stay with me. You could work in the shop with the other elves and help us make presents for all the boys and girls of the world. This world needs Christmas Spirit, Kara. The Earth would be a dangerous and inhospitable place without it.”

Kara was frightened by the grave look on his face. He quickly changed his expression. “But that is not for you to worry about, little one. Let’s get you back to the shop and get you some milk and cookies. They’re my favorite.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Santa had to increase the size of his kitchen to feed the hungry Kryptonian. The elves weren't pleased.


	2. The Present, November 30th

Kara fidgeted as she waited outside of Mrs. Claus’s office. The bench was too small for her to sit on properly. She could have floated, but the elves didn’t like it when she flew. Flying is for Santa and reindeer, they said.

Waiting was excruciating. She knew she was in deep trouble.  She had had her last warning many warnings ago, and the Clauses could not allow her to go unpunished. With her super hearing, Kara knew the elves were whispering about going on strike. She knew J’onn could not allow that to happen. Christmas depended too much on the little toymakers.

“It’s a job only an elf can do,” Kara bitterly whispered to herself. “Their nimble fingers, natural cheer, and active minds are perfect for toy building. I’m just a cotton-headed ninny muggins.”

“Kara,” A soft voice gently reprimanded her. Kara glanced at M’gann and looked away. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“I’m not upset you said it. I’m upset that you believe it,” M’gann said. “Come inside. I made us some hot cocoa.”

Kara tried not to drag her feet as she walked into the office. She knew it was going to be awful if M’gann was making her hot cocoa. She carefully cradled the cup in her hands and steadfastly refused to look anywhere but inside of it. “Just say it, Mrs. Claus.”

M'gann slid a thick file across her desk and gently placed her hands on top of it. She gathered her thoughts before speaking. “This is your 23rd violation, Kara. We let most elves go after ten, but we showed leniency due to the fact you’re a Kryptonian. We’ve tried placing you in every area of the workshop with no success. You melted a whole barrel of Barbie Dolls’ heads in toy making by using your super speed. You lost a whole crate of tablets in shipping because you insisted on flying. Do I need to go on? The incidents are all recorded here.”

Kara quickly shook her head. Every single one of her mistakes was ingrained in her memory. She would never be perfect like Earthling elves.

“You can’t stay at the North Pole, Kara. The elves have insisted. If it were up to me or J’onn, you could stay indefinitely,” M’gann insisted. “But we need the elf-power to keep up the toy production. Maintaining Christmas Spirit is the most critical part of our job.”

“I know,” Kara whispered into her cup, trying not to cry. She allowed herself one sniff. “Where…where will I go?”

“Down south,” M’gann said, reaching for more files. “I have some connections I’ve maintained through the years. There’s this bar I can get you a job at in National City. It’s a good place for you to learn how to fit in. Its name is…”

A knock at the door cut Mrs. Claus off, and her husband entered a moment later. “I’m sorry to interrupt. I have a solution to our problem.”

M’gann shook her head. “J’onn, we’ve discussed this. Kara’s not ready.”

J’onn held up his hands, asking for a moment. “We have to give her a chance, M’gann. She deserves that at least.”

She let out a short sigh as she turned to study Kara. A quick nod later and a hopeful Kara was being led to Central Command.

“Kara, you have to understand something. Those who work here have one job: spread Christmas Spirit. You, I, and M’gann are aliens. We are visitors. The elves and reindeer were here doing this job long before us. The elves will accept you back to the North Pole if you prove you can show people the true meaning of Christmas. Nothing else spreads Christmas Spirit like it. Turn here.”

Kara held her breath as they walked through the command area. It was the one part of the North Pole she had never been allowed in before. She didn’t even want to breathe on the wrong button. The elves seemed to agree as they slouched protectively over their stations.

Kara couldn’t make sense of most of the screens and radars they walked by. At the front of the room was a large curved screen which they stopped in front of. J’onn placed his hands on his hips. “Pull up the Spirit Meter.”

“Right away, Santa,” Inky, his second elf-in-command, stated.

Kara took an involuntary step forward when the meter was brought up on the screen. “J’onn! I mean, Santa! It’s almost depleted!”

“Yes,” J’onn replied gravely. “Less and less people understand the true meaning of Christmas every year.  That’s where you come in.”

“Where I come in?” Kara repeated. “How?”

“Pull up National City’s FBI department.”

“Yes, Santa,” Sparkers replied. She was his third elf-in-command.

The screen split into two images. One half was of a tall building while the other showed a list of pictures and words. Kara watched as a long list of agents scrolled across the screen. It was evenly split between naughty and nice which was to be expected for adults. However, each one’s Christmas Spirit was in the red level. Hardly anyone in the FBI had any Christmas Spirit left.

“Stop there on Alex Danvers.”

Kara was shocked to see Dr. Danvers had zero Christmas Spirit and was on the naughty list. “How is this possible? How can a protector of humans have no Spirit left and be naughty?”

J’onn sighed. “Some people just lose sight of what’s important in life. That doesn’t mean they can’t find their way again. Kara Zor-El, this is your mission. You have to increase the Christmas Spirit of National City’s FBI department. More than that, you have to teach Alex Danvers the true meaning of Christmas by Christmas Eve or you can never return to the North Pole.”

Kara started shaking her head. M’gann was right. She was not ready for this. “I…I can’t. I can’t, Santa. I’m not capable.”

“You are, Kara. I believe in you,” He placed his hands on her shoulders. “You can do this.”

“But I’m an alien! And I’ve never been down south! I’ve never even seen a human! How am I supposed to do this?”

J’onn leaned close to kiss her forehead. “By just being yourself. Be honest and true.”

An incredulous look crossed her face. “You want me to tell them I’m an alien and I’ve been living at the North Pole for the past decade?”

A rumble of disagreement could be heard from his throat. “Maybe don’t be entirely honest. At least about the alien part. You can be honest about everything else.”

“But how can I do this? How will I even know if I’m succeeding?”

J’onn motioned for something. “Where’s the watch?”

“Right here, Santa.” Sparklers presented the item to J’onn but kept her distance from Kara. She would begrudgingly accept Kara back to the North Pole if she succeeded, but she wanted nothing to do with the clumsy Kryptonian. She internally bemoaned the fact that all aliens weren’t as wonderful and helpful as J’onn and M’gann.

“This watch goes from zero to six on both sides. The top needle measures the Christmas Spirit of Alex Danvers and the bottom gauges the Christmas Spirit of the FBI department. Danvers is on zero, and the department is not much higher.”

J’onn placed the watch on her left wrist. “I have connections down south. I’ve made you a cover similar to your current situation. You work for a company called Santa’s Workshop. National City’s FBI department has just hired you to work as a Christmas, party planner.”

Inky stepped forward to hand J’onn a bag. “The items you requested, Santa.”

“Thank you, Inky. Kara, in this bag is your identification and money. Money is green paper that you use to buy things to eat and drink. Nothing is free down south.”

Kara stood, numbly, as J’onn slipped the bag onto her shoulder. A rogue tear slipped down her face. “What if I can’t do this? I’ll never be able to see you or M’gann again.”

“No,” J’onn denied. He swept her into a hug. “You can’t return to the North Pole, but that doesn’t mean we’ll never see each other again. M’gann and I will visit. I’ll pick you up every Christmas Eve to go flying. But, Kara, you’re not going to fail. I believe in you. You can do this. You can show them the true meaning of Christmas and restore their spirits. I know it.”

Kara took in a shaky breath and gave a single nod. “Okay. Okay. Let’s do it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note about elves: They may look like three-foot versions of your average 'Elf on a Shelf', but they are very, very old. And all of them are perfectionists. They can not stand having someone like a clumsy super-powered teenager around messing the natural order they established centuries ago. Most of them tried to accept Kara, but her breaking stuff really messes up their Christmas Spirits.


	3. December 1st

Director Lucy Lane counted the seconds of silence as she stared down Agent Alex Danvers. At thirty-five the agent spoke. “You’re out of your damn mind.”

“Language,” Lucy reprimanded though she made no move to put the violation down in Alex’s file.

Alex leaned forward. “Read my lips. I’m not doing it.”

“Yes, you are. You are in charge of Christmas planning this year.”

“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” Alex slammed back into her chair. “This is fucking ridiculous.”

Lucy decided she would make a note about the use of inappropriate language in the workplace in Alex’s file after all.

“Why me?”

“Because it’s your turn, Alex. Don’t make such a fuss about this.”

“This doesn’t have anything to do with the Cadmus case?” Alex asked, narrowing her eyes at her director.

Lucy was one to lie and frequently if she needed to. However, she didn’t lie in this case. “It certainly didn’t help you. You’re annoying a lot of rich, influential people in this city and have found nothing to show for it.”

“I knew it.”

The director tried valiantly not to roll her eyes. “Alex, just use this as a vacation. The bureau has coughed up the money to hire an event planner this year. All you have to do is babysit her, and she’ll do all the work.”

“Babysitting?” Alex gasped. “I have a Ph.D. in bioengineering, and I’m a federal agent. I’m not a babysitter.”

“Well, you’re going to be. Just…use this time to think over your Cadmus case. If at the end of the holidays you still think something is there, I'll let you back on the case officially.”

Alex swallowed her pride. She knew she’d get no better offer. “Fine. When does she get here?”

She figured it would be a few weeks before the planner arrived. That would give Alex plenty of time to read over every aspect of the Cadmus case.

“She flies in today.”

“Today?” Alex gasped. “She’s going to be with us a whole month?”

“More like three weeks, but yes. The higher ups want a huge party this year to celebrate all our tremendous work. I’m hardly one to deny them since it’s true. We have done a great job this year. There’s even talk of Christmas bonuses.”

The agent couldn’t deny a bonus would be nice for her colleagues. She had no use for extra money except to buy more expensive alcohol.

Alex rose stiffly from her chair. “Fine. Have security page me when she’s here. What’s her name anyway?”

Lucy searched for a moment. “Kara Zorel.” She pronounced it ‘Care-ruh.’

“Zorel?” Alex repeated, letting the name roll across her tongue. “That sounds foreign. Have you vetted her?”

The director scoffed. “Please. Of course, we did. This is the FBI. She’s been cleared.”

Alex made a disgruntled sound and left the office. She planned to have as little as possible interaction with the party planner.

Lucy watched her walk away before turning back to her computer. She sent a secure, encrypted email. “Everything down south is clear.”

 

*

Kara tried not to wring her strap of her bag to pieces, but she couldn’t help but worry it between her hands. She had flown into the alley exactly like J’onn had told her to. She had walked the five blocks east and stood in front of the FBI building. It had been the most informative and traumatic walk of her life.

Everyone moved so fast, but that didn’t really bother her. The elves were very quick on their feet. It was just the size that messing with her senses. Everything was her size. She wasn’t the odd one out. Well, she was the odd one out, but not due to her height. She was currently in her elf-attire and had no idea that was the reason everyone was staring at her.

She took a deep breath and marched to the front door of the FBI building. Kara hadn’t expected it to be empty. The décor was very stiff and inflexible. The chairs didn’t look comfortable. There were no side tables or magazines. There were only two items hanging on the wall: the shield of the FBI and a wall of honor for the fallen.

“This isn’t very Christmas-y,” Kara muttered to herself.

“Ma’am, can I help you?”

Kara jumped. Where had that voice come from?

“Ma’am?”

Kara squinted and spotted the glass case in the corner. She felt sad for the man inside the thick walls. The elves often threatened to put her in such a monstrosity. She wondered if he was a troublemaker too.

“Ma’am?” He repeated. Kara moved closer to inspect his cage. It was horrible. There was only one breathing hole, and the glass went all the way down to the bottom of the counter. The only way food could be slipped inside was a carved out hollow under the glass.

“Ma’am, are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Are _you_ okay?” Kara studied his nametag. “Clint?”

Clint blinked. “Um…yes. Why do you ask?”

“I mean…you’re trapped inside this glass case. How could you not be okay? Don’t you want to be free and out in the snow as the other elves and reindeer?”

Clint chuckled as he shook his head. This girl was clearly an actor sent here to deliver a Christmas jingle.

“It’s not so bad in here. Who are you here to see, ma’am?”

“Oh, I’m here for Agent Alex Danvers.” Kara reached into her bag to pull out a card. “Or Doctor Alex Danvers. Or should I say Doctor Agent? I’m not sure how titles work here down south.”

“What’s your name?”

“Kara Zor-El.”

“I’ll page Agent Danvers,” Clint reassured her. He could not believe someone hired an elf to sing Alex Danvers a Christmas song. He was glad he would be behind bulletproof glass. He looked up Agent Danvers’ number in his directory and dialed.

“Agent Danvers, this is the front desk.”

“Go ahead.”

“I have an elf here to see you,” Clint joked. Kara furrowed her brow. She wasn’t an elf.

“A what?” Alex snapped, not in the mood for games. Clint stopped jesting. “I have one Kara Zor-El here to see you.”

“Oh, great,” She droned. “I’ll be right down.”

Clint winced as she slammed the phone. He set his own down gently and turned his attention back to Kara. “She’ll be down directly. You may wait over there in the seating area.”

Kara glanced over at the chairs. They did not look welcoming. “I think I’m good here, thank you though. How is your holiday spirit?”

Clint merely stared at her. “December just started. I can’t say I’ve found my holiday spirit yet.”

“You should take the time to find it,” Kara insisted. “Every moment is a dear one that should be spent with loved ones and making memories.”

“I have to work, Ms. Zor-El,” He politely pointed out. “And Christmas isn’t for weeks. There will be time for all of that.”

“Do you have children, Clint?” Kara asked. She received a hesitant nod. “You should go out tonight and buy an advent calendar. One of those where you can open a door every day until Christmas. It can be something fun for you and your children to share.”

A pensive look came across the receptionist’s face. “That actually is a good idea. I think I will do that. Thanks, Ms. Zor-El. And here is Agent Danvers.”

Kara turned to find a woman studying her, and she forgot how to breathe. She had seen a tiny picture of Agent Danvers at the North Pole, but the agent’s ID picture had done her little justice. Nothing could have prepared Kara for how beautiful humans could be.

“You are stunning.”

Kara instantly blushed after the words slipped from her mouth. Or maybe she had meant to say them. It was difficult to say since her brain felt all scrambled.  

Alex tilted her head. Was this random elf really hitting on her? And where was her party planner? She glanced around the lobby, but there was no one else there.

“Care-ruh?” Alex asked. This had to be a joke. It wasn’t.

“It’s actually pronounced Car-uh,” Kara corrected, rushing forward to hold out her hand. Alex reluctantly shook it and was more than a little surprised at the strength she could feel in the grip.

“You’re here to plan our Christmas party?”

“More than that. I’m here to show you the true meaning of Christmas,” Kara proudly announced. “You have no Christmas Spirit, and we have to change that.”

Clint was double glad he was behind bulletproof glass.

Alex rolled her eyes as she turned away. Of course, the bureau would hire a company that insisted on their planners to be method actors. An admittedly attractive actor but an actor all the same. “Sure. Whatever. This way.”

Kara had to step into a body scanner on the other side of the door. She was lead to an elevator once everyone was satisfied she wasn’t carrying weapons of mass destruction. Kara glanced at her watch as she followed the agent through various hallways. Alex’s spirit levels hadn’t moved. She knew it had been a long shot, thinking Alex would immediately change her ways if Kara just pointed it out. However, it was still disappointing to know she had no effect on Alex’s mood.

 “This office is free,” Alex said, gesturing into the room once they were on her floor. Lucy had insisted Alex keep Kara close by. “Just stay out of everyone’s way and do your job. I’m down there, but try not to bother me.”

Kara watched as the woman marched away in barely contained fury. She had to wonder if there was no one else on the planet that would have been easier to show the true meaning of Christmas. After a moment, she reared back her shoulders. J’onn had said she could do this and she would. She would return to the North Pole, but first, she had to enter her office.

It wasn’t fancy, and it was fairly sparse. There was a desk with a rolling chair behind it and a few stuffed chairs in front of it. She gingerly sat behind the desk.

Kara had only had her own desk once before in the accounting department at the workshop. The accounting elves had banished her after she broke eleven of their calculators from punching the numbers too hard.

She browsed the cabinets of her desk and found a notepad. More searching uncovered an unsharpened pencil. After a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching, Kara used her teeth to sharpen it. She quickly discovered that was a bad idea and spent the next minute spitting wood shavings into the trash can. However, her pencil had a point, and she went to work writing out her plan.

She was here to plan a party and party planning is what she was going to do. Not only that, she had to figure out ways to show Alex Danvers the true meaning of Christmas.

*

Alex rubbed her eyes as she started the walk to the elevator. She blinked a few times when she became aware that someone else was still there. She shook her head when she realized it was the party planner.

The agent thought about leaving her there, but she could only imagine her director’s lecture if she did. So she stuck her head in the office but took her time to study the blonde haired woman before speaking. Kara looked to be her age. The elf outfit would have made her look even younger except for the intense look of concentration on her face.

 “Hey. It’s time to go. I’m sure you have a hotel or an Airbnb to get to.”

Kara’s head jerked up from where she had been fastidiously writing her plan. She was currently on page 66. “Oh. Yes. Of course.”

“I’ll walk you downstairs,” Alex said, not trusting the woman alone on her floor. She watched as Kara placed her pencil and notepad into her leather bag, and together they walked out of the building.

Kara had no idea where she was going to spend the night until dawn. She had never spent a single night away from the North Pole. It was a rather scary thought, but she tried not to let it show. “Well, Agent Danvers, I hope you have sweet dreams, and I’ll see you in the morning.”

She half turned away, looking around for a direction to start walking.

Alex recognized a lost person when she saw one. She hated that she couldn’t stop herself from asking, “Hey, where are you staying?”

The blonde slowing turned around, nervously brushing a lock of hair away from her face. “Umm.”

“Don’t you know? Didn’t your company arrange something?”

“Maybe,” Kara hedged. She started looking in her bag even though she knew there was nothing of the sort in there.

“Do you at least have some money to go get a hotel?”

Kara opened her mouth and quickly closed it.

“What?” Alex asked, starting to get impatient. Kara gulped. “I did have money, but I gave it away.”

“You gave it away? They forwarded you a paycheck, and you gave it away?” She repeated.

Kara nodded. “You see, on the walk here there was just so many people who asked for it. They all needed it, and most looked to be in bad shape. I couldn’t tell them no, not when I had money to give. I met so many on the way to the FBI that I gave it all way.”

Alex pinched the brow of her nose. “Oh. My. Sweet. God.”

Kara started wringing the strap of her bag between her hands. She just knew this was going to be the moment she failed. She wasn’t even going to last a day.

Alex was in a deep internal conflict. On the one hand, it wasn’t her fault the bureau had hired such a naïve party planner. She could not be held responsible if Kara spent a night on the streets. On the other hand, she knew Lucy would hold her responsible.

“Come with me,” She barked, turning sharply on her heel. Kara had to set a brisk pace to keep up. “Where are we going?”

“To my apartment.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Kara, she doesn't know the crush that's about to hit her.
> 
> Poor Alex, she doesn't know the mayhem that's about to hit her.


	4. December 2nd

It was past midnight before the pair arrived at Alex Danvers’ apartment. Alex let out a sigh of relief when she got into the door. She tossed her keys on the kitchen counter and went straight to the fridge to pull out a beer. Now she was content. Well, except for the elf standing awkwardly by the door.

As she pulled a long draw off the beer, she took a moment to reevaluate her guest. Her outfit was ridiculous, but it was a well-made ridiculous. Kara wore brown, leather, pointy shoes and candy-cane striped tights. Her coat was evergreen with fuzzy white trim on the cuffs and collar. Her coat’s buttons were a polished gold, and it was cinched together with a wide leather belt. The green pointy hat sealed the deal; It was perfect elf attire.

“Why do you do that to yourself?” Alex asked. A confused look came over Kara’s face. “Do what?”

“Dress like that?” Alex gestured her bottle at Kara’s assemble.

Kara tugged on the sleeve of her coat, suddenly self-conscious of the outfit she had worn for the past 11 years. “It’s what we all wear back home. Only J’onn and M’gann dress differently, but that’s to be expected since they’re in charge. Is there something wrong with what I’m wearing?”

“N.,” Alex had to admit. “If your goal was to look like Santa’s elf, you have succeeded.”

Kara grumbled, “I’m not an elf.”

The flash of annoyance piqued Alex’s interest. She sank down on her gray, chaise sofa. “Be real with me Care-ruh, is this your first assignment?”

“Car-uh,” Kara corrected. She hesitated in answering the actual question. J’onn had told her to be honest. “Yes.”

Alex snorted. “I knew it. You practically scream inexperienced.”

Kara was affronted. “Hey.”

“I knew there had to be a catch with the bureau springing for a party planner. I bet they got you cheap. Let me guess; you didn’t even know you were coming here before yesterday.”

“Well…yes.” Kara moved to sit down on the edge of the couch as far from Alex as possible. The woman had to be a mind reader.

“Last minute assignments suck,” Alex acknowledged, taking another sip of her beer. Kara’s blue eyes followed the bottom as it pressed against Alex’s lips. She made a sound of agreement.

Alex mistook her gaze. “Sorry. I’m a terrible host. Would you like one?”

Kara blushed as she looked away and shook her head.

Alex tilted her head as she stared curiously at the elf on her couch. Had Kara been looking at her? Was she interested?

“What do you think of my apartment?” She asked instead.

Kara was grateful for something to do. She looked around. “It’s…umm…nice. I’ve never been in a room that didn’t have Christmas decorations.”

Alex rolled her eyes, taking another sip. “You don’t like it.”

“No, no,” She insisted. “I do. I do. I like the ocean painting above your bed and…and…this thing.”

Kara grabbed the bronze rectangular sculpture off the coffee table. In her rush, she forgot to watch her strength, and it bent in around her fingers.

Both sets of eyebrows shot upwards. Kara’s from horror and Alex’s from surprise. That was metal and Kara had molded it as easy as clay.

“I’m so sorry!” Kara gasped. She placed the tangled mess back onto the coffee table and covered her face. “I’m so stupid! Please don’t get rid of me.”

“Hey.” Her bottle made a loud clink as she dropped it onto her glass-topped table before sliding down to Kara’s side. “Hey, it’s fine.”

“It’s not fine! I ruined it,” Kara pressed her hands tighter into her face. She had started to cry, and she didn’t want Alex to see.

Alex studied the metal sculpture before refocusing on Kara. She hesitantly reached out to place a hand on her, but she wavered as she tried to decide to place it on her shoulder, arm, or thigh. She settled on the thigh.

“It’s fine,” Alex asserted, squeezing the leg underneath her hand to prove her point. She looked down in surprise as she felt bundles of hard muscles. How strong was this elf? “I mean, if anything, I think I like it better.”

Kara sniffed and turned her face away so she could brush away the tears. “You do?”

“Absolutely.” Alex wondered how her life had led her to this moment. She was sitting on her couch trying to console a party planner who had just crushed her sculpture. This was not how she saw her day ending. “The sculpture reminded me of molecules. Now it reminds me of crushed atoms if you will.”

Kara wiped her face again. “You can’t normally crush atoms. Neutron stars are made of crushed atoms and so are black holes.”

Alex leaned back a little to evaluate her guest. How did a party planner know that factoid? “Where did you learn that?”

Kara gave a weak, sad smile. “I took advanced science and mathematics before I went to live at the North Pole.”

Alex rolled her eyes as she sank back into the couch. “And here I thought the elves taught you.”

“Oh they know science and math, but mainly the engineers use that knowledge daily. They design new toys and electronics. They’ve made good progress with processing cores,” Kara said. She looked at the sculpture she ruined. “Are you sure this is okay? I can find a way to fix or replace it.”

Alex leaned forward to grab her beer and evaluated the destruction again. “I like it. It’s fine the way it is.”

Kara nodded, relieved beyond belief. “I was worried you’d fire me. The elves haven’t given me a second chance in a long time. I can’t return to the North Pole if I screw this up.”

Alex shook her head. “Look, let’s cut the act okay. It’s really exhausting me. I know you’re not from the North Pole.”

Kara held her breath. Had the FBI agent figured out she was an alien?

“You’re just a party planner. I know your company is called Santa’s Workshop and I’m sure they train you to stay in character. However, I can only take so much of this Christmas stuff. No more elves, no more Santa, no more North Pole. Deal?” Alex said. After a heartbeat, Kara nodded. She would have to be extra careful with her word choice from now on.

“Deal.”

Alex stretched back her shoulders and yawned. “Look, you should go to bed. It’s late. The guest room is over there. The sheets are clean. It’s not like anyone has ever slept in there.”

Kara opened her mouth to ask a question but decided it wasn’t the right moment. She nodded her thanks and went to the room Alex had gestured to. “Good night.”

“Yeah, sure,” was the reply she got.

 

*

Kara lay in the unfamiliar bed for an hour. She stared at her watch off and on. One of the elves had installed a neat feature that would light up the face when she pushed a button. Despite how cool the feature was, the face was depressing. Alex was still drained of Christmas Spirit.

She rose from the bed and went to the window. The window was facing the entirely wrong way. Kara looked around carefully with her x-ray vision before opening the window. Alex had finished off a second beer and went to bed thirty minutes ago. She appeared to be there now.

With the practice of a thousand times, Kara opened the window and floated outside without a single sound. From there she made her way to the roof. This way she could face the direction of Krypton and tell her parents all about her day as she had done every night since she crashed on the blue planet.

A snort caught her off guard, and she turned to see something flying towards her. Kara jumped to her feet when she realized it was a reindeer. She was able to tell which one it was from about thirty feet out. “Blitzen!”

The reindeer snorted again as she landed next to Kara. She shook herself to show in a clear message: get this thing off of me.

Kara raced to do just that. She was careful to touch the reindeer as little as possible. Blitzen snorted again.

“I am hurrying,” Kara said, suddenly more than a little cross. “I don’t need any lip from you.”

Blitzen pawed the roof and Kara had to bite her lip before speaking. “None of you are going to let that go. Cupid bit me! Not the other way around.”

Blitzen made a mooing sound and Kara flushed. She didn’t need reminding that Cupid was the most affectionate reindeer who loved anyone and everyone.

After the last rope was undone, she slipped the suitcase off of Blitzen’s back. Without so much as a ‘see you sucker,’ the reindeer took off back to the North Pole.

“Bye to you too,” Kara called out, annoyed. Her annoyance disappeared when she realized someone had sent her something. Maybe it would help with her mission.

The first thing she saw when she opened the suitcase was a letter. It was from M’gann; she could tell from the handwriting. It read:

**Dear Kara,**

**I scolded J’onn for almost an hour when I realized he had sent you down south so vastly unprepared. He didn’t send you any human clothes, and he gave you cash. Cash! I know you will have already spent every dollar he gave you because I know how big your heart is. I’m including a credit card that works similar to cash. Try not to spend more than $100 a day and ask Alex about your ‘party’ budget tomorrow.**

**I packed up your toiletries and have sent you some human clothes. Nothing special. Just some jeans, t-shirts, cardigans, socks, underwear, pajamas, and shoes.**

**I know you can do this. I have faith in you.**

**Love,**

**M’gann**

**P.S. Tell Alex the airport forwarded your luggage when she asks where you got these clothes.**

 

*

Alex groaned when her phone’s alarm clock went off. It always seemed to go off too soon, but she was too prideful to hit snooze. She went to go make a cup of coffee after she took a cold shower and dressed for work. Her hand flew to her holster when she realized she wasn’t alone in her apartment.

“Good morning,” Kara brightly called out.

“Jesus. You scared the shit out of me.” Alex took her hand off her gun. She had forgotten she had invited a strange woman home and not for sex. “What in the hell are you doing?”

Kara frowned. No wonder Alex was on the naughty list. Nothing put a person there like a foul mouth. She tried to turn her frown upside down. “I made breakfast.”

She gestured to the scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. She turned to get the French press.

Alex rubbed her eyes and squinted. How in the hell had she missed Kara when she walked to the bathroom? She was very hard to miss.  Kara was wearing green footie pajamas with lights and ornaments all over. She was walking Christmas tree. “What are you wearing? Where did you get those clothes? That wasn’t in your bag when we scanned it.”

“Blitzen brought them for the North Pole,” Kara answered honestly, focusing on pouring a cup of coffee without spilling a drop. Elves drank coffee by the gallon, and her longest job had been as a barista up at the workshop. She knew she made good coffee.

“What?”

The snappy question refocused Kara to the present. Alex didn’t want to hear about the North Pole. What had M’gann told her to say? Oh, right. “The airport forwarded my luggage.”

Alex was about to ask how the airport knew to forward the luggage to her apartment, but the coffee smelled too good. “Is that for me?”

“Yes,” Kara beamed, handing it over. “I didn’t know how you like it, so I added a dash of creamer and sugar.”

“Black is fine.” Alex took a seat at her counter. An involuntary moan escaped her throat as she took a sip. She had forgotten how good splurging tasted. “This is good.”

Kara’s eyes snapped to her watch, but there was no movement. She almost cursed her sun god, Rao, but she knew that would move her closer to the naughty list.

“I’m glad you like it,” She said, putting a plate of food in front of her host.

“I don’t eat breakfast,” Alex repeated. “And where did you get food? I know my fridge is empty.”

“I went grocery shopping as a thank you for letting me spend the night,” Kara answered, taking a sip of her own coffee.

Alex supposed that was fair and she supposed it would be rude not to eat Kara’s food. She briefly considered the fact Kara could be poisoning her, but she honestly didn’t care. Her grumbling stomach let her know she hadn’t had real food in almost twenty-four hours.

“You better gather your stuff. We’ll be heading back to the office soon, and we’ll find you a place to stay,” Alex said, shoveling food into her mouth.

Kara felt her own spirits fall, but she forced herself to cheer back up. Of course, Alex wouldn’t want a stranger living in her house until Christmas. “Sure. Right away.”

*

Alex went through the scanner and waited as Kara went through a more in-depth search. Once the elf (did Kara own no other clothes?) was issued her visitor’s pass, they made their way up to the 11th floor.

“Alex, what is my budget?” Kara asked, remembering M’gann’s advice. Alex stopped mid-step. “Didn’t they tell you?”

Kara shook her head. Alex about-faced and started walking to her director’s office. Lucy really had some explaining to do. This whole thing was already weird as hell.

*

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Kara,” Lucy said, walking the woman to the door. “I’ll send Alex along with the paperwork shortly. She’ll show you have to fill out request forms. You have to keep close track of any inventory.”

“Of course. I understand. It was really nice meeting you too, Director Lane.”

Alex clenched the arms of her chair as she waited for Lucy to deliver bad news. She had thoroughly complained about how unprofessional it was for Kara’s company or the FBI to not secure quarters for the woman. Lucy’s only reply was an ‘I see.’

“What?” Alex snapped the moment she thought Kara was out of earshot. She didn’t know Kara could still hear the whole thing. “Why are you looking like you’re about to tell me she should continue to stay with me?”

“Because I think she should continue to stay with you,” Lucy simply put it, sitting back behind her desk. “I think it’s a perfect solution.  There is money for her lodging, but we can just forward that stipend to you instead. You’re the one responsible for her, Agent Danvers. You have to monitor her as she enters and exits the building. You have to sign off on every request form and evaluate every purchase she makes. You’re stuck with her so she might as well live with you too. It makes things easier.”

“No. It doesn’t.” Alex was livid. “How in the hell would having a stranger in my home make things easier?”

“Kara told us that she made you breakfast and coffee this morning. That hardly seems like much trouble to me. She’s a very nice girl.”

“Naïve girl,” Alex corrected. “She’s never even done this before.”

“Everyone has to start somewhere,” Lucy insisted. “She’ll do fine. I mean Santa wouldn’t send us a useless elf after all.”

“I hate you,” Alex muttered. “So much.”

“Great. Then it’s settled. She stays with you. I’ll forward you half the stipend to lower your grumbling.”

“Good luck with that.” Alex purposefully slammed the door on the way out.

Once her agent was gone, Lucy turned back to her computer. She sent another encrypted email. “Everything is still going according to plan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mean what would you do if you suddenly had a house guest for three weeks like that looked Kara Zor-El?


	5. December 6th

 Kara lay on the roof of Alex’s apartment, staring up at Krypton’s sun, Rao. Even though the image of the star was 27 years old, she liked to imagine her words would make it back across the divide. That her parents would hear everything she said to them before they died.

“The last few days have been difficult, Mom and Dad. Alex has to approve my budget request forms and so far she has declined everyone.”

In hindsight, requesting that the entire department fly up to the North Pole was rather silly. But there was no reason for Alex to put the form in the shredder. Her next, more modest, request was also shredded.

“Why couldn’t the department fly up to Alaska to see the Northern Lights? Alaska is much closer than the North Pole.”

Her request for five snow machines was also denied.

“She’s gotten grumpier at work,” Kara said. “She only lightens up at home, but here is where I have to lie. She doesn’t want me to talk about the North Pole. She absolutely doesn’t believe.”

Every tentative question about decorating her apartment for Christmas was immediately shot down with a glare. Kara even bought a pack of candy canes to ‘accidentally’ leave around the apartment in specific places, but Alex ordered her to take them to the guest room. She had chewed them up in misery.

“At least I have made an improvement at the department,” Kara added, excited. She looked at her watch with pleasure. The needle had definitely moved. It was still in the red, but at least it had moved closer to yellow.

Clint had stopped her one morning to tell her his kids loved the advent calendar. She was certain his Christmas Spirit was raised. Later that afternoon Kara had delivered Christmas cards to everybody in the department. She had personally drawn and colored each one on office paper. It had taken two full days and nights to complete with color pencils she had to buy herself, but luckily she didn’t need much sleep. Most of the department had been pleasantly surprised and thankful for their cards. The department’s Christmas Spirit needle had risen after she delivered them all.

“At least Alex didn’t shred my card,” Kara mused. “That’s progress right Mom and Dad?”

She imagined the star twinkling back at her. Alex’s needle hadn’t moved, but the FBI agent had certainly been surprised by the card. It was a beach with large waves, and a surfboard was standing up in the sand. On the back of the surfboard was a Christmas tree.

Kara pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “Inside the card, I wrote a standard message. I thought for hours on what to write, but I couldn’t think of anything better than ‘Merry Christmas.’ Pretty lame right?”

She could almost hear her mother admonishing her for being so down on herself. “I wish you were here. This wouldn’t be so hard and scary if you were. I wish I could hug you both. I’d give up the North Pole forever for just one hug.”

Kara nearly flew into the sky when she heard the crunching sounds of someone walking across the roof. She sat upright to see Alex moving towards her.

“Who are you talking too?” Alex asked, looking around. She had never seen Kara with a cellphone when she thought about it.

Kara felt her cheeks burn, and she debated lying for the first time. Only J’onn’s insistence she tell the truth kept her from doing so.

“My parents. They both died when I was a teenager, but I talk to the stars hoping they can hear me,” Kara hugged her knees close again. “It’s stupid, I know.”

Alex felt her heart painfully throb. She took a seat beside Kara. “I don’t think it’s stupid at all. You believe whatever you want to believe.”

She lay back onto the roof with her arms behind her head. After a moment, Kara joined her in looking up at the sky. Almost an hour passed before Alex spoke again. “I used to stargaze with my mom and dad while we were out camping. They taught me the constellations. Sometimes my dad and I would make up silly ones to see who could make my mother laugh the hardest. He died when I was a teenager. I kind of lost my mother too at that point. She disappeared into her work.”

Kara knew saying ‘I’m sorry’ wouldn’t be enough nor would it matter. Instead, she shifted on the roof so that their arms were pressing together. She didn’t think Alex would accept anything more.

Alex cleared her throat and sat up. “I didn’t mean to compare my pain to yours. I know yours is worse.”

“I didn’t think that Alex,” Kara said, sitting up. She reached over to place a hand on Alex’s arm. “Thank you.”

Alex arched a brow. “For what? Ruining a nice night for stargazing?”

“No. For making it better. I haven’t…” Kara hesitated. “I mean…nowhere has felt like home since my parents died. I was immediately shipped up north. If I'm honest, it's never felt like home up there, and I’ve always felt alone for the most part. But just now, I didn’t feel so alone. That’s why I’m trying to thank you.”

Alex stumbled for a reply. “Yeah…well…you’re welcome.”

She quickly got to her feet. “I’m going inside. I need a drink. See you in the morning.”

As Kara watched Alex make a dash for the fire escape, she wondered how the agent had known where she had gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me thinks the elf (Kara- I'M NOT AN ELF) is wearing Alex down.
> 
>  
> 
> Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!


	6. December 8th

Alex dropped onto her couch as soon as they got back to her apartment after work. It had been a long day of staring at old Cadmus case files and she was tired from the lack of sleep over several nights. She just couldn’t comfortably go to sleep until she knew Kara was safely off the roof and back in the guest room.

Kara bit her lip as she pondered her next move carefully. “Alex?”

The other woman grunted to show she was listening.

“Would you watch a Christmas movie with me?”

Alex slowly let her head roll over to look at Kara and immediately rolled it back over without saying a word.

“I thought you might say that,” Kara said, persistent. “That’s why I bought you a bribe. Well, I bought you a present, but it’s really a bribe. If you watch a Christmas movie with me, I’ll give you your bribe/present.”

Alex thought about shooting her down, but curiosity got the better of her. She had declined every request Kara had made to use the FBI budget, but the elf had still managed to get the department buzzing with her Christmas gifts. Just this morning Kara delivered various Christmas origami trees, stars, snowmen, and Santas to everyone in the building.

She had personally received an intricately shaped reindeer. Kara had said, “Reindeer don’t like me, but I think you would get along great with them.”

If Kara could make so many people happy with paper, she wondered what a present from her would be like that cost money.

“Tell me the bribe and I’ll decide if I want it.”

Kara went to the fridge and pulled out three six-packs of bottles. “I got you Christmas-flavored beer.”

Alex’s eyes widened. Now, this was a gift she could get behind. She rose to her feet and went to check out the selection.

Kara placed her hands on each one as she described them. “This is Hardywood Gingerbread Stout. The nice gentleman at the liquor store says it has an aroma of ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cookie and caramel malt, hops, dates, and prunes. Basically a gingerbread cookie smell. However, the flavor is dark malt dominant with hints of dark fruits, spiciness, light hops, bitter chocolate, and a sweet finish. Plus you can’t go wrong with a stout during winter.”

“You read that off the back,” Alex laughed, not believing Kara would remember everything a cashier at a liquor store would tell her.

“I did not. I’m highly trained in explaining presents. I once worked in marketing.” Kara didn’t mention that had been fired from the marketing department in less than a day. Her ideas were deemed too ‘revolutionary.’ Kara hadn’t known ‘revolutionary’ was an undesirable adjective until that day.

She moved to the next beer. “Now this is Affligem Noel. It’s a strong ale. It has a heavy malt flavor and aroma with hints of caramel and toasted grains. It’s a Belgian Christmas special.”

“Doesn’t sound as tasty as the first one,” Alex pointed out. Kara shrugged. “I’ll let you be the judge of that. Given you watch a Christmas movie with me of course.”

Alex already knew she was going to give in, but she decided to play it out a little longer. “I’m not sure. What’s the third one?”

“Last, we have Port Brewing’s Santa’s Little Helper.”

Alex laughed. “Santa’s little helper? Isn’t that you?”

Kara had to smile. At least Alex hadn’t called her an elf. “I’m not little. Anyway, I was told this is a very naughty but nice beer. It has hints of heavy chocolate and coffee malt with molasses. Very full-bodied.”

Alex thought Santa’s helper was definitely full-bodied but wisely kept that thought to herself. She opened her mouth to agree to a movie, but quickly closed it. She sensed a trap. “What’s the Christmas movie?”

 Kara looked like a deer caught in headlights.

Alex laid out her terms. “Nothing where Santa is the main plot of the story and nothing in black and white.”

There was a moment of calculation before Kara suggested, “A Christmas Story?”

Alex snagged a gingerbread stout and twisted the top off. “Well it’s not Christmas day at the Turner Broadcasting Station, but what the hell. Let’s do this.”

The smile Kara gave her made her pause before taking the first sip. Kara was breathtaking. Alex looked away as she took a long drink of the beer. She firmly told herself that she was not interested.

“What was that?” Kara asked from across the living room, searching through a sack of blu-rays she had purchased.

Alex’s eyes widened, mortified. Had she said ‘you’re not interested’ out loud?

“I’m all set.”

Alex put the other beers back in the fridge to keep them cold but snagged a second gingerbread stout. “This is good, by the way.”

“Really?” Kara asked, settling in on the couch. “What does it taste like?”

“Like gingerbread men went off to war in a hops field, were utterly crushed by the chocolate infantry, and this is the blood that rain into the river.”

Alex had to bite back a smirk at Kara’s dismayed face. However, Kara didn’t stay stunned for long.

“At least the gingerbread women still have each other for tender love and care.”

Alex started coughing as she inhaled the beer down the wrong pipe. Had Kara meant that the way she thought she meant that? The smug look on Kara’s face was not helpful in answering her question.

“Why don’t we change into more comfortable clothes before we do this?” Alex asked, brushing a little drop of beer off of her button-up. “Then we can order takeout. Maybe some Chinese food with extra potstickers?”

“Potstickers?” Kara gasped. “That sounds wonderful!”

Alex couldn’t help but smile. She had discovered the elf hadn’t tried many of the world’s cuisines. Apparently, there wasn’t much food variety ‘up north’ wherever ‘up north’ was.

“We ate a lot of sugar,” Kara had once confessed. Alex had decided it was her duty as an FBI agent to expand Kara’s food palate. Otherwise, there would only be candy at the Christmas party.

Five beers, thirty potstickers, two entrees, and one movie later, they lay contently on either side of Alex’s couch. Kara was in her Christmas tree pajamas, and Alex was in boxers and a tank top. Alex had to admit, “This was kind of fun.”

“Really?” Kara beamed. “I think so too. Maybe we can do it again?”

“Sure,” Alex said. She held up the bottle in her hand. “As long as you get more Christmas-flavored beer.”

Kara laughed. “Alright. Which one is that?”

“Santa’s Little Helper. Here, try it.”

Before Kara could protest, the beer bottle was pressed to her lips. She took a sip and crinkled her nose.

“You don’t like it?”

Kara shook her head. “It’s not my type.”

Alex laughed and pulled the beer back to finish it. “Well, Santa’s Helpers are definitely my type. Good night.”

“Good night,” Kara repeated automatically, making her way to the guest room. Had Alex meant the beer? Or her?

Amidst having a really good time, Kara had forgotten to check her watch. Safely in her room, she pressed the button that lit up the face and nearly flew through the roof.

“It moved!” Kara internally shrieked. “Alex’s Christmas Spirit has moved! She’s not at zero!”

Never in Kara’s life had she been so thrilled to see something move two millimeters. The needle was still in the red, but it was halfway to 1. Two was the border between red and yellow, and Kara was a quarter of the way there. She rushed to the roof to tell her parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's the second day of Christmas. On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me two potstickers and some packs of holiday beer.


	7. December 11th

“No,” Alex declared the moment Kara bounced into her office. The other woman visibly deflated.

“You don’t even know what I was going to say,” Kara bemoaned.

Volatile brown eyes pinned blue ones in a glare. “I don’t even want to know. Do you know how much paperwork I just had to fill out over the shit you pulled yesterday?”

Kara flinched and ducked her head. She whispered, more to the gray carpet than Alex, “It was a misunderstanding.”

Alex placed both hands flat on her desk as she rose slowly from her chair. “A misunderstanding? A misunderstanding? Let me try to explain this in elf terms for you.”

Kara wanted to interject she wasn’t an elf but decided now was not the time. She tugged on her sleeve of her green overcoat, waiting for Alex to fire her.

“A misunderstanding is when you paint fire trucks blue instead of red.”

Kara’s head snapped up in instant fury to level the other woman with an equal glare. She had confided that information on the roof two nights ago when they spent almost all night talking under the stars. It was the reason she had been fired from the paint department in the workshop. She had painted all the fire trucks made that year blue. She was still bitter about that.

Fire trucks on Krypton were blue. How was she supposed to know human trucks were red? Red trucks would just blend into Krypton’s background. She could have easily have fixed the mistake if given a chance.

“You sneaking a man in a red suit past security to the 11th floor is not a misunderstanding. It’s a federal offense! Four agents instantly tackled him because he didn’t have a visitor’s badge. That is what we are trained to do. We’re damn lucky no one was hurt!”

Kara glanced miserably at her watch. Yep. Alex’s Christmas Spirit was back to zero. Strangely though, the department’s had risen since yesterday’s incident. It was halfway between 1 and 2.

“Are you going to fire me or what?” Kara asked, suddenly resound to her fate. Alex collapsed back in her chair and turned away. “I don’t have the power to fire you. Get out of my sight.”

Kara had been on this planet eleven years, and in all that time she had never uttered a curse. It was a fast way to land on the naughty list. Sure, she had thought them, especially the Kryptonian ones, but she had never said one. Kara supposed she had saved it for a special occasion and today seemed like that day.

“You’re…you’re…” She visible trembled in rage. “Alex, you’re a butthead!”

“I’m a what?” Alex spun back around in her chair, but Kara was already gone.

*

“Kara, right?”

Kara glanced up from her paper cup to see a guy about her age. He was dressed in a checkered shirt and blue tie. She remembered he worked in the IT department. “Yes. Winn, right?”

“At your service.” Winn was halfway seated beside her before he paused. “Can I sit with you?”

She forced up a smile. “Of course.”

He happily finished sitting. “I love what you’ve been doing for the department. It’s really been lifting everyone’s spirits.”

That perked Kara up. “You think so?”

“I know so,” Winn leaned forward as if sharing a secret. “My boss never smiles and when you delivered him that homemade card he…”

“Smiled?” Kara tried to finish. Winn wavered. “I’m not certain. It was definitely a grimace, but that could just be his smile. I’ve never seen the man do anything but frown, so it’s difficult to say.”

Kara laughed, and Winn tapped his cup to hers. “Hot chocolate?”

She frowned down at her cup. “Yes, but it came in a packet. Real cocoa doesn’t come in a mix.”

“I’ve never had any other type. I mean, we’re in southern California. We don’t get much cold weather for Christmas ergo there is not much desire for real hot chocolate.”

Kara straightened up. “You’re right, Winn. I bet few people here have had real, hot cocoa. Let’s make some.”

He looked taken back. “What?”

“Let’s make some for the department.” She drained her cup with a grimace and pulled him up with her other hand.

“Hey, you’re really strong.”

“Let’s go get the ingredients,” Kara said, pulling him along. He tripped over his feet as he tried to keep up. “I mean, sure. I guess its okay. It is my lunch break. There’s a grocery store about five blocks west. But it’s a little hot for hot chocolate.”

“Then we’ll just make the building colder.”

Winn gaped at her before his mind started working. He cocked his head as he thought of how to hack the AC controls. “We could do that.”

*

“No!” Alex snapped when she heard a knock on her door.

“No what?” Lucy asked when she opened it.

Her left eye twitched. “No, ma’am.”

Her director made a noncommittal sound before moving into the office and closing the door behind her.

“Don’t you think you're a little hard on our party planner?” Lucy asked, taking a seat in front of Alex’s desk. “For a misunderstanding, it turned out pretty nice. Santa Claus agreed not to press any charges if we started a Toys-For-Tots campaign and if we let him come back specifically for any children in our building. The agents who tackled him got a huge laugh out of it, and you only had to fill out nine forms.”

“Which were 10 pages each,” Alex interjected. “And that’s not the point. The point is she should have cleared it by me first.”

“Why would she, Alex? You’ve rejected every request she’s made so far. Don’t think I haven’t noticed how the budget has remained exactly the same.”

Alex’s jaw tightened. “Most of the stuff she asks for is stupid or not for the party.”

“Agent Danvers, stop being the office Grinch. Consider that an order.” Lucy raised gracefully from her chair and exited the room without another word.

Alex crossed her arms as she glared at the door. After a moment she rubbed her arms. Was it getting colder?

An hour later she decided it was definitely colder. She knew it was southern California, but this was a little ridiculous. She glanced at her computer when she heard the alert of a new email. It was addressed to FBIUSERSALL, and the subject line was “Free, homemade, hot cocoa in the Cafeteria.”

“Kara,” Alex grumbled. She decided to take the stairs down. It would give her extra time to think of a reply to Kara’s butthead comment. It was just so ludicrous the more she thought about it. What adult calls another adult a butthead?

She stood at the second-floor door for a long time before she exited the stairwell. She was having the most outlandish thoughts. Maybe she should apologize to Kara?

“No,” Alex snorted before opening the door. She reared back her shoulders and marched to the cafeteria to give Kara a piece of her mind. Every thought she had vanished when she glanced inside and saw dozens of people congregating merrily with each other. All of them were sipping hot cocoa. She spotted Kara and a guy she knew from IT serving the beverage from one side of the room.

One of the guys from the counter-terrorism division had the nerve to talk to her as her walked by her to get back up to his office. “Hey, Agent Danvers. You should go in and get you some. It’s delicious. Happy Holidays!”

Alex was practically affronted. She knew that man was one of the most sullen agents she had ever met. That was why she liked him. And he just wished her happy holidays? Had Kara spiked the hot cocoa? She was going to find out.

Kara almost crushed the ladle in her hand when she saw Alex storming towards her. She now knew Alex couldn’t fire her, but her stomach was still upset about the thought of another confrontation. She even felt guilty about cursing at her.

“Hello, Agent Danvers,” Winn said. Kara had told him about the fight she and Alex had, and he decided it was his job to run interference.

“Get lost.” Alex barely glanced in his direction. Winn set down the cups he held. “Gone. Sorry, Kara.”

“No, Winn. You stay here and keep serving. Alex and I will talk somewhere else.” Kara gently put her ladle down and stared expectantly at the other woman. Alex motioned her head to an empty corner of the room, and Kara followed.

They were far enough no one could hear them without superpowers, but still in sight of everyone. Kara nervously reached up to brush her hair behind her ears. If she had glasses, she would have fiddled with them. She opened her mouth to apologize, but Alex beat her to it.

“I’m sorry.”

Kara’s hand fell heavily to her side. “What?”

Alex hunched her shoulders, not able to look at the other woman. “I said I’m sorry.”

“What? Why? You didn’t do anything wrong. I should have told you what I was doing. I’m the one who should be sorry.” Kara wanted to reach out to touch Alex but held back.

Alex wanted to take the easy way out of just accepting the apology and moving on. However, she hadn’t been raised to take the easy way out. She lifted her head to look Kara dead on. “No, Kara. I’m still the one who’s at fault here. You didn’t tell me because I’ve been rejecting everything you say. You were hired to do a job, and I’ve been impeding you. I’m sorry, and I promise to try not to impede your work from here on. Within reason of course.”

Kara smiled, “Of course.”

Her smile faded as guilt rose. She bit her lip. “But I still owe you an apology. I shouldn’t have called you…you know.”

Alex wickedly grinned. “No. I don’t know.”

Kara blushed. “You do know. I called you,” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “The b-word.”

This was too great, Alex decided. Kara couldn’t even repeat the word ‘butthead’ which wasn’t even a curse word in Alex’s opinion. “A bitch? When did you call me a bitch?”

Kara felt like her face was on fire. She reached out to give Alex a little shove. “Alex! I never called you that! And you know what I mean!”

Alex laughed while once again being awed by Kara’s hidden strength. What she wouldn’t give to explore her muscles. She shook her head. Focus, Alex.

She quickly lost focus as Kara took her by the hand and led her back to the hot cocoa. “You have to try some. It’s not as good as Mrs. Santa’s, but I think I did her justice.”

Alex had to admit it was pretty tasty. She didn’t even wish it had liquor in it.

“So what’s next, elf?” She asked, licking her lips. Kara was unable to speak for a moment as she watched Alex’s tongue. Then she was able to be indignant. “I am not an elf, Agent Danvers. Try to remember that.”

Alex snorted. “Okay. So what’s next, Santa’s little helper?”

Kara rolled her eyes but decided to let the ‘little’ part go. “Toy shopping for everyone.”

Alex set down her empty cup. “No way. Count me out.”

Kara’s shoulders hunched in disappointment. “Oh. Okay. I guess that’s fine. Winn said he’d go with me after work.”

Light brown eyes scanned the room until she pinned Winn in a glare. He flinched back when he saw it. “Absolutely not.”

“What?” Kara asked, wondering what she had done wrong now.

“I’m responsible for you. I have to escort you to and from the building. I’m in charge of inspecting any toys you wish to buy the FBI. And I’m the only one with a key to my apartment. So if you’re going to go toy shopping after work you have to do it with me,” Alex stated. Her word was final on the matter.

Kara broke into a smile. Alex was going to go shopping with her after all. “We can leave right after work. Maybe we can get some dinner while we’re out. My treat.”

“I had better get back up to my office to finish work if we’re going out,” Alex said, turning to leave.

“It’s a date then,” Kara called after her. Alex’s back stiffened as a dozen agents turned to stare at them, but she just kept walking. It wasn’t a date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When Kara said 'date', she didn't mean 'date'. She doesn't know what a 'date date' is. But if she did know, she'd want it to be a 'date date.' She's never 'date dated' before.


	8. December 14th

Alex couldn’t deny this seemed a little like a date. Kara had an arm looped through hers, and they were walking through a tree lot trying to find the best Christmas tree for the party. Not even five minutes ago Kara had told one of the tree lot attendants all about the dinner and movie they had just come from. The attendant had remarked they made a cute pair.

Alex scoffed. Of course, they made a cute couple. She knew she was good-looking, and Kara was simply stunning. She looked particularly amazing out of those elf clothes.

She had to smile at the memory of the thirty-minute debate it took to get Kara not to wear her elf-attire that evening. It had been downright embarrassing and exhausting when they went toy shopping a few days ago. Every kid and a fair amount of adults wanted their picture taken with the elf. Kara happily obliged every request.

But it had been worth it to see Kara in regular clothes, Alex reflected. Her jeans hugged all the right spots, and it was completely unfair how cute the cream-colored, baggy sweater was on her. It hung past Kara’s hands, and she had to keep pushing the sleeves up.

“Do I look okay?” Kara had asked, unsure of human clothes. Alex had been so tongue-tied she could only nod.

“What about this one?” Kara’s question pulled Alex back to the present. She tilted her head to evaluate the 14-foot tree. “I don’t know. It’s a little short don’t you think?”

Kara’s jaw dropped. Alex wanted a _taller_ tree?

She stood up on her toes to see if there was one, and Alex pulled her back down on flat on her feet with a laugh. “I’m just teasing you. This one is fine. It should fit nicely in the cafeteria.”

“We’re not having the party in the cafeteria,” Kara corrected her. “Lucy told me to rent out a ballroom at someplace called the Ritz.”

“The Ritz?” Alex gasped. “How can we afford that?”

Kara shrugged. “She said Santa Claus knew some people and got us a good deal.”

The agent grumbled something about being left out of the loop as Kara pulled her along another row of trees. “How about this one?”

Alex looked over the more modest 7-foot tree. “I mean it’s nice, but I thought we agreed on that one back there for the party.”

“I meant for your apartment.”

“Absolutely not,” Alex instantly declined, marching away. Or at least she tried too. Kara still had hold of her arm and pulled her back in front of the tree. “Jesus. How strong are you? I have not seen you work out once.”

Kara ignored the probe into her super abilities and focused on the mission at hand. She gave Alex’s arm the gentlest tug. “Please, Alex. Please. I’ve never had my own tree before.”

“Your own tree?” Alex repeated. Kara nodded, her eyes pleading. “Yes. It could be my tree, but just at your apartment. Can we get the tree? Alex, Please? Pretty please?”

“Oh, come on, Alex. Let her have the tree,” One of the attendants said, walking up to catch the last part of the conversation.

“What?” Alex said, half spinning around to glare at the newcomer. The attendant merely grinned. “I’m sure your pretty girlfriend here doesn’t ask you for much all year. Let her have the tree.”

Alex’s attention returned to Kara as she felt another tug on her arm. There was no time to deny the girlfriend statement.

“Please?”

The agent sighed. She was being attacked from all sides and could see no way out. “Fine. You can get the tree.”

Her eyes widened as she felt a pair of lips press against her cheek. She turned to find Kara beaming at her. “Thank you. Thank you, Alex. Let me go pay for our trees.”

Once she was certain no one was around, Alex reached up to touch the spot Kara had kissed. Why did the spot feel so warm?

Stop acting like a teenager, Alex scolded herself. She scuffed the ground with her boots and stuck her hands in her pockets. She firmly told herself it was just a friendly, thank-you kiss. Nothing more to it.

 “Hey. It’s all set. I paid extra for them to deliver the trees to us. Ready to go pick out some ornaments for our tree?” Kara reappeared at her side and looped their arms again.

“Our tree?” Alex repeated. “I thought it was _your_ tree that just happens to be in my apartment.”

Kara laughed. “I’m willing to share custody.”

“And what does joint custody of a tree entail?” Alex questioned.

“I’ll let you help pick out the ornaments, and you can decide the tree topper. Should we have an angel or a star?”

Alex remained silent as they exited the tree lot and made their way to her SUV. Kara held her tongue. She had learned it was best to wait for Alex to come to a natural answer instead of pressing for one.

Alex started the engine but left the car in park. “I think there is this store that randomly opens up in the fall called The Christmas Place. It’s got decorations. Do you want to go there?”

“Yes. Absolutely.” Kara wanted nothing more than to reach over and place her hand on Alex. She could tell something heavy was on her mind. They were on the freeway before Alex opened up about it.

“My father’s family had this angel they always put on top of the tree. It was on the top of our family trees growing up. My dad would lift me up to put place it. I think it’s still with my mother. We haven’t bothered with Christmas decorations since he died. I could call her and ask for it.”

“That sounds perfect.” Kara couldn’t resist anymore. She reached over to place her hand on Alex’s thigh.

Alex glanced down at the hand on her leg before looking at its owner when it didn’t leave. Kara was staring out the window, trying to act nonchalant. She gulped as she felt a hand cover hers, but refused to look back. She was certain their touch would end if she did.

*

“You arranged this didn’t you?” Alex drawled, staring at the chaotic mess beside the Christmas store. Kara gasped. “I had never even heard of this place before you suggested it. How could I do this?”

“You have your ways,” Alex replied. She drew back her shoulders. She was preparing herself for the harsh journey to the store’s entrance and mess inside.

“A little Christmas fair is not the end of the world, Alex,” Kara pointed out. “It’s just kids having their pictures taken with Santa.”

“I see a reindeer petting zoo. It _is_ the end of the world.”

Kara couldn’t deny her feelings on reindeer. “That does sound bad. Let’s get inside.”

*

Alex stared mutely at the shopping cart full of decorations. This was just for her apartment. Kara said she would come back to get the agreed upon FBI decorations later.

The most disturbing part was Alex had picked out most of the decorations. She had even put items into the buggy without Kara’s assistance. She kept a mental tally of each thing she had personally picked out. Twenty-three including tree ornaments. But how could she resist a set of ornaments from ‘The Christmas Story’ and a snowflake made with bullet casings?

‘She couldn’t’ was the simple answer.

“Hey, no,” Alex called out when Kara pulled out her credit card. “This is on me.”

Kara looked uncertain. “Are you sure? Maybe we should split it.”

“Nope,” Alex insisted, pushing the cart forward to pull out her own credit card. “It’s my apartment, my decorations, my bill.”

Kara glanced at her watch and was barely able to contain herself. Alex’s Christmas Spirit was at 1 and a half. She was almost out of the red. Everything was going to plan.

As they exited the store, Alex looked left and right. “Did we park over there or over there?”

Kara pointed to the far right. “I think we parked over there.”

“Are you sure?”

Kara had an incredible sense of direction. “I’m sure.”

“I think we parked on the left,” Alex disagreed.

Kara laughed. “We parked over there. I’ll go wait by the car for you when you finally come to your senses.”

Alex rolled her eyes as they separated. She knew she was right. Right?

Kara made her way down the right side of the building. The path she took was behind the kids’ Christmas fair, and lamp posts provided light from above.

Halfway down the path, Kara froze when she heard an unmistakable snort. She spun around on her heel and blanched. She quickly looked around to make sure no one was in earshot before she approached the reindeer.

“Prancer,” She whispered fiercely. “What are you doing here?”

The reindeer scratched the ground and lifted her head.

“You had to see this hot mess for yourself?” Kara threw up her hands in frustration. “I’m not here for your amusement, Prancer. Go home.”

“Who are you talking to? Alex asked, appearing around the corner pushing the cart. “I guess you’re right. We’re not parked on that side. Is that…a reindeer?”

Kara’s hands shot behind her back as if she was hiding something. She realized how non-innocuous that appeared and brought her hands back down to her side. “Yes. I think so.”

“It probably got loose from the petting zoo,” Alex said, looking around for a handler. “We should probably take it back before it hurts someone.”

The reindeer whined and snorted. _The only one around here who hurts people is Blondie._

Kara ground her teeth. How many times did she have to say that Cupid bit HER, not the other way around?

Alex carefully approached the animal and held her hand out. “Do you think it’s tame?”

“It probably has rabies,” Kara said viciously. “And fleas.”

Alex swore the reindeer gave Kara an indignant look before reaching out to nuzzle Alex’s hand. Prancer looked as pleased as Kara looked angry as Alex scratched it behind the ears. “Hey, I think it likes me.”

“Of course she does,” Kara muttered. “They like most people except me.”

Alex let her hand run down the reindeer’s back as it wiggled in pleasure. “What was that?”

“Nothing.”

Prancer neighed, motioning her head up to the lamp post above them. Kara followed her line of sight and stared at the green sprig with white berries. “What is that?”

Alex paused in petting the reindeer to look up. The FBI trained agent hated that her cheeks showed the tiniest of blushes. “It’s mistletoe.”

“Mistletoe?” Kara repeated, confused. “That’s it doing up there.”

“Well, someone obviously hung it up there to steal some kisses.” Alex couldn’t help but wonder if her breath was alright.

Kara gave her companion a stunned look. “Excuse me?”

Alex’s amusement turned to bewilderment. “You’re self-proclaimed from the North Pole, and you don’t know about mistletoe?”

“The elves are allergic to it if you must know,” Kara replied indignantly. “I’ve seen its image, but we never keep it around the workshop. So what do you mean by stolen kisses?”

Prancer rolled her eyes. The Kryptonian was not the cleverest in the bunch.

Alex rubbed the back of her head. “Well…when two people stand under mistletoe they are supposed to kiss. The superstition is that kissing brings good luck and wards off evil spirits.”

Kara’s face burned. She and Alex were under the mistletoe. Were they supposed to kiss?

 She waited for Alex to make a move because the only kisses she had seen on Earth were between J’onn and M’gann or on the little television she was allowed to watch.

Alex thought about kissing Kara. She even moved towards her, but that was more the reindeer pushing at her back. She unconsciously wet her lips while she looked at Kara’s. One little kiss wouldn’t hurt things right?

She blinked. Wrong. One little kiss could ruin everything. Kara looked hopelessly nervous. She couldn’t force a kiss on someone like that.

Alex cleared her throat. “Luckily I don’t believe in superstitions.”

Kara forced a laugh, utterly disappointed. “Of course. Who would?”

They both looked away while Prancer shook her head in frustration. She couldn’t have set the scene up more perfectly, and both women managed to mess it up.

“Let me walk this animal back over to the zoo while you go find the car,” Kara said. She made no motion to take the reindeer’s halter, but the look in her eyes told Prancer she meant business. Once she was out of earshot of Alex, she stopped in front of the reindeer. “Did you put that mistletoe there on purpose?”

Prancer whined.

“No. No! You are not Cupid, and Cupid doesn’t like me to begin with. Alex and I are not…we’re not…you know! She doesn’t like me like that. She tolerates my presence. And even by some miracle, she did like me, I can’t stay here. I’m doing all of this to get back home to the North Pole. So stop it.”

Prancer snorted before walking off. Kara called after her. “That wasn’t very ladylike.”

*

Alex sat on the edge of her bed as she prepared to call her mother. It took several false starts before she actually dialed the number.

“Hey, mom.”

“Hello, Alex,” Eliza replied, sounding pleased. “I was going to call you tomorrow to arrange our Christmas dinner. Is that why you called?”

“Yes. I mean no. I mean kind of,” Alex fumbled. “I was wondering if you still have the angel we put on the Christmas tree when I was little.”

She was met with silence. “I’m sure I do.”

 Alex missed the days of corded phones where she could wrap the wire around her fingers. “Do you think I could borrow it this Christmas if you’re not using it?”

“Did you put up a tree, Alex?”

Alex cleared her throat. “I have a friend staying with me, and she put one up. I just thought Dad’s angel would look nice on it if you weren’t using it this year.”

“A friend?” Eliza repeated. She sounded tired. “Alex, how estranged is our relationship if you can’t tell me you have a girlfriend staying with you?”

Alex’s jaw dropped, and she instantly went into denial mode. “No, no, mom. She’s not…I mean…we’re not.”

“Alex,” Her mother soothed. “Keeping a secret disagrees with you. I love you however you are.”

Alex swallowed back the heaviness in her throat. “I love you too.”

“How about I come into National City tomorrow and bring you the angel in person? That way I get to spend time with you and meet…What’s her name?”

“Kara,” Alex softly exhaled, pressing a hand over her eyes.

“Kara. That’s lovely. I can’t wait to see you and Kara tomorrow. If I leave in the morning, I should make it to your apartment around lunchtime. Goodnight, Alex.”

“Night, Mom.”

Alex stared blankly at the wall beside her bed long after the call ended. How was she going to tell Kara her mother was coming and she thought the two were dating?

She made a beeline for her fridge to pull out a holiday-flavored beer at random. She was going to need liquid courage to explain the situation. Alex headed for the roof; hedging Kara was already up there or soon would be.

“How was the talk with your mom?” Kara asked, staring up at the sky. If she was honest with herself, she was a little jealous of Alex’s ability to have a two-way conversation with her mother. Despite her jealous Kara made sure she couldn’t hear any of the conversation below. She didn’t want to invade Alex’s privacy.

“Fine. Well. Good.” Alex settled in beside her. She started peeling the label of the beer off with her nails. “She’s coming tomorrow.”

“That’s nice,” Kara tentatively stated.

“I guess. She’s bringing the angel,” Alex paused. “And she wants to meet you.”

“Me?” Kara asked, sitting up. “I thought I would leave you two alone for quality time together.”

“Oh no. She really wants to meet you, so you’re not going anywhere,” Alex asserted. “She…uh…she thinks…”

Kara placed a hand on Alex’s arm. “She thinks what, Alex?”

“She thinks we’re dating.”

“Oh.” It was the only English word Kara could think of.

Alex forced herself to look at Kara. She could see the panic on her face. “I’m sorry. I tried to correct her but she blindsided me by being really sweet. I couldn’t tell her we weren’t dating then. If it’s too weird, I’ll call her back right now. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable tomorrow.”

“I don’t like lying,” Kara whispered, pulling her knees up to her chest. Alex rubbed her face with her free hand. “I know. I’m sorry. I’ll call her back.”

“It’s probably for the best. I’m not sure I could pretend to be dating you,” She whispered sadly.

Alex was taken back. Was Kara saying she wasn’t interested in women or that she wasn’t interested in her?

“I imagine it would be hard…pretending to date a woman,” Alex hedged, not wanting to assume. Kara shook her head. “It would be hard for me to pretend to date anyone, Alex.”

“Anyone?” Alex repeated. Kara nodded. “Man or woman.”

Alex shook her head out. She had to be misunderstanding this. “So…are you saying you haven’t dated anyone? Man or woman?”

The answer was barely more than a whisper. “No one.”

“Oh.” It was the only English word Alex could think of. But her mind couldn’t stop there. She had to know it all. “So have you ever…you know…had sex?”

“No.”

“Kissing?”

“No one, Alex!” Kara shouted, covering her face in utter humiliation. “There was no one up north!”

Alex let her beer slip from her fingers as she rushed to pull Kara into an awkward, sideways hug. “Hey, hey, hey. I’m sorry.”

Kara hated herself as tears started to fall from her eyes. Alex felt a teardrop hit her arm and held her tighter. “I’m sorry. I’m here.”

“I’m not crying because of that,” Kara insisted, trying to pull away from Alex. The other woman refused to let her go. “I know. It’s okay. I’m here.”

The tiniest sob of frustration escaped Kara’s mouth. She desperately wanted to get away to stop crying in peace, but she couldn’t without hurting Alex. Since she couldn’t leave she was forced to acknowledge what was making her cry. Despite her superpowers, Kara was unable to stop the painful memories that had been hurting for years.

“They left me!” She sobbed into Alex’s chest. “They left me alone! They sent me away! How could they do that?”

“To save you,” Alex whispered, squeezing Kara as tight as she could. Kara always spoke of her parents with the highest regards and utter love. Two people like that would only send their daughter away to protect her. She suspected it was from the fire that killed them.

“It’s not fair!” Kara clawed at the ground with one hand that wasn’t holding Alex. The gravel they used on the roof was crushed to dust between her fingers.

“I know,” Alex kissed the side of her head, leaving her face there. “I know, Kara.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not crying! You're crying!


	9. December 15th

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this entire chapter listening to Kelsea Ballerini's Legends on repeat. I can make any song into a Kalex song.

Kara woke slowly. She didn’t want to move. She was warm… and something else. Something too difficult to describe. It wasn’t happiness though it was akin to it. Kara didn’t know if she knew an English word for what she was feeling. The best she could come up with was ‘not alone.’

The woman behind her took a deep breath. Kara stopped moving. She didn’t know what she would do if Alex freaked out about Kara being in her bed. It hadn’t been her idea in the first place. Alex had insisted.

She felt Alex exhale and snuggle closer. The arm around her stomach tightened, and she relaxed. Alex was still asleep.

Kara didn’t know how long she cried into Alex’s chest last night. Alex refused to let go every time she tried to pull away. She also had no idea how a human managed to hold her so tight. Alex was incredibly strong and so brave. How else had Alex gathered up the courage to take Kara inside and tuck them both into her bed?

Kara couldn’t remember the last time she had slept for more than an hour. Yes, she could. It was the night before Krypton exploded. However, Kara didn’t need to sleep on Earth. She never grew physically tired. She took her hour sleep time the same as every elf to fit in, to begin with, and later to get away from them.

She turned her head into her pillow and inhaled Alex’s scent. She wanted to remember this moment for as long as she lived. Kara tried to recall the last time someone held her. She was sure it was M’gann or J’onn after a bad day. None of those embraces felt this good, but their embraces didn’t feel bittersweet either. Kara knew this couldn’t last. She had to get home to the North Pole.

“Alex?” She rolled over into the embrace to face the other woman. “Alex?”

Alex rolled onto her back and stretched. “What is it?”

She peered up at her ceiling as a flood of memories hit her. She bolted upright. “Shit!”

Kara flinched back, fumbling to get out of the bed. “I’m sorry. I should have left.”

“What? No,” Alex said, rolling out of her bed. She started to tug the covers straight. “What time is it?”

Kara, now on her feet, glanced around for a clock. The closest one she found was two apartments over. “10:30.”

“Fuck.” Alex ran a hand through her hair. “Double fuck. I never called my mom. She’ll be here in like half an hour I bet.”

“Oh,” Kara said. She felt oddly relieved. Alex wasn’t freaking out them sharing a bed; she was just worried about her mother.

Alex started patting herself down. “Where’s my phone?”

“Alex.”

“Did I leave it on the roof?”

Kara tried again to get Alex’s attention. “Alex.”

“Nope. It’s here on the floor. I need to stop dropping it.”

“Alex!”

Alex froze and turned face to Kara.

“You don’t have to call your Mom. We can pretend if you want. I mean,” She blushed. “I can try to pretend. Is it like being friends right? But with more touching?”

“Relationships are…something like that,” Alex muttered, really unsure herself. It had been so long since she had a decent relationship it was impossible to say.

Kara nodded. “Okay. I can do that. And you can just tell your mother it was a misunderstanding after I leave.”

“Right,” Alex said. It was a struggle not to show the disappointment she felt at the thought of Kara leaving. Kara would surely leave after the FBI party was wrapped up. That was less than a week away.

“We better hurry before your mother gets here. You take a shower first, and I’ll tidy up around the apartment.”

Alex thought her apartment was pretty tidy, and she liked the way she smelled. It was a mixture of her own scent and Kara’s. She mentally slapped herself, “That’s super gay, Danvers. Straighten up. You’re just faking a relationship for the duration of your mother’s visit.”

*

“Hey, Mom,” Alex greeted, opening the door. She totally expected her mom to peer around her to look for Kara. She was not expecting the bear hug.

“Wow, Mom, easy there. Have you been working out?”

Eliza laughed as she pulled back to look at her only child. “Just a little Cross-Fit. You look good, Alexandra.”

Alex brushed her hair back behind her ears, suddenly self-conscious. “Thanks.”

Eliza looked around her apartment as she moved in, settling the bag she brought on the counter. “And this looks beautiful. You went all out.”

Alex closed the door and leaned back to evaluate the room. Kara had put out most of the decorations bought while Alex was in the shower. She didn’t know how Kara had done it so fast. It would almost take superhuman speed.

“You haven’t decorated the tree yet?” Eliza asked, looking at the majestic but bare Douglas fir.

Kara chose that moment to exit the bathroom. She was toweling her hair but was otherwise fully dressed. In human clothes as Alex was grateful to see. “We wanted to wait for you.”

“You did?” Eliza asked, swallowing the sudden lump in her throat. “Oh, for the angel.”

Alex knew damn well she and Kara had not discussed waiting for her mother. But she was also a damn well-trained liar. “No, mom. We wanted to decorate the tree with you.”

Eliza swallowed again. She refused to cry. “That sounds amazing, girls. Let’s do it after lunch. Are you hungry?”

“Famished,” Kara declared, moving to Eliza’s side. “I’m Kara, by the way. Kara Zor-El.”

“And I’m Eliza Danvers. It’s wonderful to meet you.” Eliza shook Kara’s outstretched hand. She wouldn’t have minded a hug but respected Kara’s boundaries.

Alex laughed, more from silly relief than humor. “Kara’s always starving. We better go before she decides to eat the tree.”

Kara rolled her eyes. She walked past Alex and made a show of touching her arm. “I just need to get my shoes, and I’ll be ready.”

Eliza looked pleased.

*

The pleased look hadn’t left Eliza’s face all through lunch or decorating the tree. If anything it grew the longer she watched her daughter and Kara. They fit together in many ways she had with Alex’s father. She hadn’t laughed so hard in ages as she watched Kara lift Alex up onto her shoulders.

“Put me down you goof!” Alex called out, one hand on Kara’s head for balance while holding her father’s angel in the other.

“You said you needed to be taller to put the angel on top,” Kara arguing, swaying as Alex fought her position.

“I meant getting a chair, goofball. Put me down. I’m too heavy for you.”

“The sooner you put the angel on the sooner you can get down.”

Alex let out a frustrated sigh but did as she was told. It took a minute of exact placement before she was happy. “Okay. That’s good…hey! Careful.”

Eliza laughed as Kara knelt to let Alex down. Somehow, they ended up in an embrace. She was a little surprised they didn’t share a kiss before breaking apart. Maybe Alexandra was embarrassed to do something like that in front of her mother.

“I should be going soon, girls. I promised to meet some National City friends for dinner.”

It warmed her heart that both girls looked disappointed. Kara said, “I’m sorry you have to go, Mrs. Danvers.”

“Call me Eliza, please. And I’m sorry too. When will I see you again? Christmas day? Alex, I thought I could come down for another visit if you want.”

“That sounds good to me, Mom, but Kara…,” Alex paused. “Kara…”

“Oh. Of course. Do you have to visit your family?” Eliza asked, misunderstanding the pause.

“Yes, I will hopefully be returning home up north by Christmas.” Kara had to force a smile. It was a horrible place most of the time because of the elves and reindeer, but the North Pole was home. She couldn’t turn her back on that now.

“Of course.” Eliza smiled. “Alex, can you walk me down to my car?”

“Of course,” Alex echoed her mother. Eliza shook Kara’s hand again. “Kara, it was an absolute delight meeting you. Thank you so much for today and for everything you’re doing for my daughter.”

Kara flushed with a mixture of pleasure and guilt. “Likewise, Eliza.”

Alex nervously followed her mother down the stairwell of her apartment building. Was Eliza going to say she didn’t really like Kara or that she had figured out they weren’t really dating?

“I like her, Alex. She’s really sweet.”

Alex relaxed, and a smile crossed her lips. “Yes, she is.”

Eliza stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “How long has she been on Earth?”

Alex stopped smiling. “What?”

The look Eliza gave her was from one bioengineer to another. “Alex. You have to know she’s an alien.”

Alex sat heavily on the step beneath her. Of course, Kara was. It had been right in front of her all along. The super strength and super speed. The stupid talk about Santa, elves, and the North Pole had just been to hide who Kara really was. It explained everything.

“You didn’t know?” Eliza asked, moving to place a hand on her shoulder.

“I didn’t want to know,” Alex confessed. “I was ignoring all the signs.”

Eliza’s heart beat in sympathy for her daughter. Eliza was the US’s leading expert on extraterrestrial beings. Outer space aliens were something the government tried to keep quiet. Only a few people knew the truth. Alex was one of those people. She was also an expert on aliens. That was what her Cadmus case was about.

“What are you going to do?” Her mother asked, rubbing her shoulder. Alex shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s a lot to process.”

“It’s not...really when you think about it. It doesn’t really change who Kara is. She’s still the sweet girl who painstakingly put the tinsel on the tree one strand at a time.”

Alex snorted, half a laugh, half a cry. “True.”

“It’s entirely up to you, my beautiful girl, but I think you should continue to give this a chance. She seems to bring out the best in you.”

“She does,” Alex whispered, closing her eyes against hot tears. The tears were from relief. Maybe Kara would stay if Alex told her she knew the truth. Maybe Kara would stay if she knew didn’t have to hide anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ho ho ho, Alex knows.
> 
> But ho ho ho, Alex doesn't really know.


	10. December 19th

“I’m never going to be able to do this,” Kara moaned, placing her head in her hands. She was trying to figure out her timeline. Alex took another bite of toast before reaching over to rub Kara’s back. Kara had been worrying about the party for days now, and Alex had run out of verbal encouragement the previous night. Kara was just a worrier, and nothing she said was going to ease that worry until the party was over tomorrow night.

“You’re right,” Kara acknowledged, lifting up her head. “I can do this. I’ve been planning for weeks. It will be fine. The catering company is going to deliver and set up tomorrow at the Ritz. I need to be there early for that.”

Alex hadn’t removed her hand and now used it to tap Kara’s back.

“Yes, I did make it open bar.”

Alex smiled before taking another bite of her toast.

Kara kept her up rant. “I don’t know how I’m going to get the Christmas tree from the FBI lobby to the Ritz. What was I thinking buying and decorating it so early?”

“You could always fly it over there.” Alex held her breath. Besides verbal encouragement, she had been dropping hints she knew about Kara’s alien status. So far the blonde had remained oblivious to her statements.

 “I should rent a truck to move everything. It could fit in there.”

Alex mentally cursed. She knew Kara could fly. She set up a hidden camera on the side of the building outside of Kara’s window the night after her mother left. She and Kara had gone to bed separately which meant Kara went up to the roof alone. Sure enough, the next day, Alex had a video of Kara floating out of her room and flying up. Kara was definitely alien.

She just wanted Kara to confirm or deny it. She could broach the alien conversation from there, but Kara managed to sidestep each time without even trying to.  

“Can you read minds?” Alex thought, mentally focusing all her attention on those words. “Cough if you can read minds. Do it! Cough!”

“Is something wrong?”

Alex nearly jumped out of her skin. She cleared her throat and looked away from a worried Kara. “No. Everything’s fine.”

“It’s just I asked you a question, and you just glared at your coffee.”

Alex tried not to blush. “Sorry. I was just lost in thought. What did you ask me?”

Kara stared at her intently before giving a simple nod. “You need a day off.”

Alex snorted and got up from the breakfast bar to deposit her dishes in the sink. “You’re out of your mind. I’ve never taken a random day off, and I don’t intend to start now. I think you are trying to change the subject. What did you ask me?”

Kara scraped her fork against her empty place. It had been an embarrassing, sappy question that had slipped out before she could stop it. She only brought it up because she thought it had upset Alex. She didn’t want to ask it again.

Alex leaned across the bar to place a hand on her arm. “Hey. You can ask me anything. What’s the worst that can happen?”

“You go back to hating and ignoring me like when I first showed up.” Kara had to close her eyes. She could feel a burn behind them, and she didn’t know if it was her heat vision or tears.

Alex guiltily looked away for a moment before focusing on Kara. “Kara. Look at me.”

Kara had to take a few deep breaths before she felt safe enough to look at her.

“You can tell me anything. I’m going to be honest with you. I can’t promise I’ll never get upset, mad, or say stupid stuff to hurt you. We both know that’s not my strong suit, but I’ll try to be understanding. I’ll try to calm down and talk things out rationally with you if you give me enough time to process. But Kara, it’s okay. I think I know what you want to tell…”

Alex’s speech was cut off by the sound of her phone ringing. She only answered it because it was her boss’s ringtone. “Yes, ma’am.”

Lucy asked, “Why is there a man trying to deliver seven cases of beer in my lobby?”

Alex straightened. That was an emergency. One of those cases was her new favorite holiday beer she had begged Kara for. She didn’t want anything to happen to the beer.

“We’ll be right there,” Alex stated. She glanced at Kara who was already getting ready. She mentally checked a box: super-hearing.

They were out of the apartment and in the elevator in less than three minutes.

“A party,” Kara whispered as Alex pressed the button for the ground floor. She half turned towards her. “A what?”

“A party,” Kara repeated, trying to find courage in Alex’s early words. Maybe this wouldn’t upset her. “I asked if we can have a party.”

A half-smile crept up on Alex’s face. “Aren’t we already?”

Kara nervously ran a hand through her hair. “No. I mean, yes, but not like that. I want us to hold a little Christmas party. Just invite a few people from work and your mother if you want. I don’t want to leave when I finish up the FBI party.”

Alex reached out to take Kara’s hand in hers.

“You don’t want to leave?” She repeated, feeling hopeful. Had Kara been watching her watch she would have seen Alex’s Christmas Spirit slowly rising.

Kara gulped. What was an English word for ‘yes’ and ‘no’? “Not yet anyway.”

Alex’s spirit meter stopped and slowly fell back to 3 in the middle of the yellow range. It wasn’t the answer she wanted. She inspected the elevator buttons so Kara wouldn’t see her disappointment. “Then I guess we’re having a Christmas party. We’ll have to see what days I’m off. Who were you thinking of inviting?”

Kara beamed and squeezed the hand she still held. “Winn and Director Lucy. Did you know she’s dating a nice woman named Vasquez? I want to invite her too and Eliza of course. What do you think about…”

They exited the apartment building holding hands. They were still holding hands when they entered the FBI lobby. If Clint had anything to say about them holding hands he wisely kept it to himself. The party was tomorrow. He didn’t want to be disinvited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Christmas be sure to purchase your own copy of Alex Danvers' new book: How to Check if your 'Not-Girlfriend Girlfriend' is a super-powered Alien.
> 
>  
> 
> The FBI party is tomorrow!


	11. December 20th

“Okay, fellows, that goes over there, and those go near the window,” Kara directed her movers by gesturing with a clipboard. It would be so much easier to do everything herself at superhuman speed, but sadly humans were everywhere. There was just so much to do that she wondered if it would all get done before the FBI workers started to arrive at six.

Kara’s eyes suddenly crossed as something was thrust in front of her face.

“Here. Drink this,” Alex said, wiggling the Noonan’s cup in front of her. Kara leaned back as she took it. “But you know I don’t drink coffee.”

“It’s not coffee. It’s hot chocolate,” Alex said, taking a sip from her own cup. She gave a little moan of pleasure. “Now this is coffee.”

Kara was so distracted by the sound she almost forgot what she was holding. After a little shake of her head, she smiled. “Thank you. This is really sweet.”

“I know it is but what am I?” Alex taunted, taking the clipboard out of Kara’s hands. She brightened when she saw the next set of the catering crew coming in the door. “Hello gentlemen, follow me. The bar is going to be set up over here.”

Kara took a sip and swirled the hot chocolate around in her mouth. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t as good as hers and nowhere in the same league as M’gann’s. Alex’s kindness made it taste even better.

“Hey, what’s this?” Alex asked, gesturing at the thick divider cutting off half of the ballroom. “I thought we reserved the whole room. I mean I know it’s only a couple of hundred people coming, but the full ballroom could hold 600. That gives me lots of space to avoid people.”

“It was booked for something else,” Kara said, making a point to look anywhere but at Alex. The other woman arched a brow. Kara was hiding something, but she decided to let it go. Alex didn’t want to ruin Kara’s fun. She wandered back over to her side.

“Okay well, I got out clothes for this evening in the car. I still can’t believe you and Lucy drug me out on a shopping trip,” Alex pouted.

Kara laughed. “I didn’t have anything to wear tonight since you insisted I couldn’t wear my normal uniform.”

“It’s an elf-costume, not a uniform,” She retorted. Kara gave an exasperated sigh. “I am…”

Alex finished her sentence. “Not an elf. So I have heard. But you aren’t quite human either.”

Kara’s heart stopped beating. She stammered, “Wh…what? Don’t be ridiculous. Of course, I’m human. I was born human the same way all other humans are born.”

She ended with a nervous laugh. Alex couldn’t keep the tiny smile off of her lips. “And how are all humans born?”

Kara went into panic mode. How were all humans born? That was not something she learned up at the North Pole. Earth was vastly behind Krypton in technology, so maybe humans gave birth in Krypton’s ancient way. “Out of…down…down there.”

Alex raised her cup to her mouth to hide her grin. “Down there?”

“Don’t make fun of me because I’m not used to saying such words,” Kara whispered, upset. Alex’s smile disappeared, and she reached out to take Kara’s hand. “That wasn’t what I was trying to do. Kara, I’ve been trying to tell you that I…”

“Hey, lady, where do you want this karaoke machine?”

Alex’s eyes widened in horror. “Karaoke?”

*

Winn beamed, “Everything seems to be going good, Kara. You did a fantastic job. Do you see how many people are at the bar having drinks made at that awesome ice sculpture you ordered?”

Kara glanced over. People did seem to be enjoying the ski-slope ice sculpture as their various drinks were poured through it.  She then looked at her watch. The department was still in the yellow zone, and so was Alex. At least the department’s Christmas Spirit was almost near the green.

“And you got the karaoke machine just like I asked,” Winn said. “This is going to be great. How many Christmas songs do you know?”

“I know every Christmas song,” Kara boasted. “I could name any song with just a few chords.”

“Well, it sounds like you should go up there and sing.”

Kara shook her head so firmly that loose strands of hair fell across her face. She brushed them back while looking away from the karaoke machine. “No.”

“Get up there,” Winn insisted, tugging on her arm. “Go on. I bet you’re a great singer.”

He tugged again out of curiosity. “Wow, you are built like a rock.”

“No. I’m not going up there.” Kara pulled back. “I’m horrible.”

He laughed. “Not everyone is American Idol-worthy, but it’s fun.”

“Winn, no. I am really terrible. I was once fired for singing.” Kara’s eyes burned at the painful memory. She had been a rather good janitor in the workshop. It was hard to mess up cleaning. The problem was she liked to sing while she cleaned. The other elves on the crew demanded she leave because her singing voice was horrific. Kara had been switched to a new job before she could even offer to clean without singing.

Winn started to laugh but quickly sobered when he realized she wasn’t kidding. He loosened his grip to pat her shoulder. “It’s okay. No pressure. It’s just for fun, and it’s the best way to spread Christmas cheer. Singing loudly for all those to hear, right?”

Kara wondered where he got such silly ideas from. She waved him on and looked around the room for Alex. So intent to find the agent; she didn’t notice someone was beside her until a hand pressed familiarly against the small of her back. She jumped, half turning to pull away before she saw warm, brown eyes. She instantly relaxed.

“Are you enjoying the party?” Kara asked, leaning back into the comforting pressure of Alex’s touch. She glanced at her watch again: Alex’s Christmas Spirit was still on the yellow side. Kara froze as the needle suddenly rose a millimeter.

“What’s that idiot doing?” Alex laughed. Kara tuned into her surroundings to realize Winn was singing ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town.’ His animated moves had half of the party watching him. At their insistence, he picked another song. Winn soon had all of the party watching him as he provocatively sang ‘All I want for Christmas Is You.’

Kara was amazed to see the department’s Spirit increase the longer he sang. Maybe Winn was right. Maybe there was something about singing that spread Christmas cheer.

“Okay, okay guys,” Winn waved off the applause when he finished. “Thank you so much. I’ll be back, I promise. I’m just going to get something to drink.”

“Speaking of drinks, I’m going to refill mine. Do you want anything?” Alex asked.

Kara shook her head and regrettably felt Alex’s hand slipped away. She turned her attention back to the free karaoke machine. Winn’s voice had been okay, but it was nothing compared to an elf. Everyone at the party seemed to really enjoy Winn’s singing. Maybe her singing wouldn’t ruin the party atmosphere.

You would think you would be used to being scared by now, Kara thought to herself as she moved up onto the small platform. She briefly rubbed her sweaty palm on the thigh of her dress before taking the microphone.

Kara forced herself to focus on the karaoke’s selections instead of those curiously watching her. She settled on a song she truly meant for each and every person in the room.

_Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Let your heart be light. From now on, your troubles will be out of sight._

Alex paused in taking another beer as she heard a pure voice sing through the air. She turned around to see everyone else looking at the beautiful woman on stage singing with the voice of an angel. Kara looked delighted and terrified by their attention.

_Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Make the Yuletide gay. From now on, your troubles will be miles away._

“Ma’am? Your beer?” The bartender asked. Alex ignored him as she made her way back to the stage.

_Here we are as in olden days, happy golden days of yore. Faithful friends who are dear to us gather near to us once more._

Their eyes met. Alex knew Kara was singing just for her.

_Through the years we all will be together if the fates allow. Hang a shining star upon the highest bough. And have yourself a merry little Christmas now._

Kara couldn’t believe every single person in the room applauded when she finished the song. Dozens of voices demanded another song, but she was too embarrassed to continue just yet. She buried herself into Alex’s side, away from all be the bravest agents.

“I can’t believe they liked that.”

“Kara, are you kidding?” Alex gasped. “You are incredible. Why haven’t you song before? I’ve never even heard you hum.”

She gave an embarrassed shrug. “They didn’t like it up north. I’m nowhere near as good as any of them.”

“Well, that’s just fucking ridiculous because you are amazing. Seriously. You can sing whenever you want to,” Alex declared. Kara glanced down at her watch. Alex's spirits had risen. “Well…maybe I can sing one more song.”

 

*

At 7:30 Kara looked around the ballroom until she found Winn walking in. He gave her a conspicuous thumbs-up. Everything was set. Kara moved through the sea of FBI employees before she arrived at Lucy’s side. “I think it’s time you give your speech.”

Lucy looked confused. “I’m giving a speech?”

Kara firmly nodded. “Yes. To wish everyone happy holidays and to let them know their surprises are here.”

Lucy leveled Kara in a stare. They hadn’t discussed any surprises. Kara put on her best innocent look.

“Fine,” Lucy broke away first. She was a former lawyer and major in the army. It was not difficult to give a spur of the moment speech. She walked over to the stage and took the microphone. “Happy holidays, ladies and gentlemen. Are you having a good time?”

A round of cheering went up. Lucy smiled. “I think we should give a special round of applause for the lady who made all this possible: Kara Zor-El.”

The round of cheer was much louder. Alex clapped and let out her own shout of approval as Kara turned red from all of the attention.

“I want everyone to eat and drink their fill. This is on the bureau’s dime after all. But first, Santa’s Elf says there is a surprise for us.”

“She’s not an elf,” Someone called out in the audience, causing a round of laughter. Lucy grinned. “Kara, come on up here and tell us what it is.”

Kara made her way to the stage and took the microphone from Lucy. Her hands were nervously damp, and she hoped she didn’t drop it. “Hello, everybody. I just wanted to say that I’ve had a fantastic time with you these past few weeks. I was really worried when Santa Claus first sent me down here. I mean, a lot of you are on the naughty list.”

She paused for the round of laughter and gave a brief smile. It wasn’t a joke, but she would take it. “I’ve tried to get to know each of you during this time, so I could make this party really special. So on the other side of this curtain is a surprise for each of you. You’ll know it’s yours because it will have a big tag with your name on it.”

Alex’s eyes widened. How had Kara gotten the money to buy surprises without her signing off on the form?

“Are you ready?” Kara asked. A resounding ‘yes’ filled the room, and she nodded for Winn to hit the switch for the divider. It moved slowly at first. The few agents closest to the divider peaked inside and let out a cry of delight before rushing into the room. “Hey!”

There was the unmistakable sound of children laughing, and other agents crowded towards the divider to see what was inside. By this time, the divider was mostly separated, and Alex could see everything.

Kara had made a winter wonderland. In the wonderland, tiny groups of family, friends, and even pets stood side by side each holding a tag with the name of their loved one. Randomly planted around the room were presents with tags for those whose special thing wasn’t a person or animal.

Alex walked along the edge of the room watching her colleagues. Some were laughing, others were crying, some were exclaiming their surprise, and others were kissing. Lucy and her surprise, Vasquez, were doing the last option.

Alex stopped at the edge of the room when one box with holes in it gave an excited bark. The tag read ‘Sammy Douglas,’ and a massive, 6 foot 5 inch, burly man from the Criminal Investigation Division came to stand in front of it.

Alex hadn’t known Samuel to show interest in anything but solving crimes. “Are you okay, Samuel?”

He cleared his throat in a deep rumble. “I’m fine.”

A moment of silence passed between them as the box wiggled. She carefully asked, “Are you going to open it?”

He didn’t move.

“Do you want _me_ to open it?”

He gave the tiniest of nods. Alex carefully opened the box to see a ridiculously small Pomeranian puppy.

“Is it what I think it is?” Samuel barely whispered.

Alex had no idea, but she said, “I think it is. Do want to hold her?”

Another tiny nod and Alex picked up the puppy to place in his outstretched hands. The puppy fit perfectly.

Kara appeared by their side. “Sammy, I got a crate, leash, and other stuff waiting for you when you get ready to go.”

Samuel lifted the dog to his face and let the puppy lick his cheeks. “Thank you, Kara. This means the world to me.”

Kara patted his arm before leading Alex away. She leaned close to whisper, “He lost his other dog earlier this year. He’s been too heartbroken to get another one, but that’s all he really wanted for Christmas.”

Alex glanced back to see Samuel showing his dog carefully to the children and other agents who wanted to see it. “I think it was a success.”

“You have a surprise too,” Kara teased. “Follow me.”

“Is it my mom?” Alex asked, standing on her toes to look around. “I didn’t see her.”

“No. Eliza really wanted to be here, but she said an urgent Elliot matter came up. She said you would know what that meant.”

Alex did know. Elliot was the name of the boy from the movie ET. Her mother was handling an alien matter.

“So what’s my surprise?” Alex asked, suddenly very curious. “I don’t see any tag on you.”

Kara stopped walking and turned around. “Would…would you want me as your surprise?”

That had gone from flirting to serious fast, Alex decided. She was a little tongue-tied. “Uh…well…yeah. I wouldn’t turn you down if you were my Christmas present.”

Kara had to fight back the tears. “I’d want you as my Christmas present too.”

Alex took a step closer. “Kara…”

Kara swallowed heavily before breaking into a smile. “Let’s get your surprise.”

A sound of displeasure escaped Alex’s throat as Kara drug her along by the hand. When was she ever going to get a chance to tell Kara she knew the truth?

“Don’t sound so unhappy. You’re going to love it. I had Winn working on it for weeks.”

“Oh, great,” Alex grumbled. “It will be a new porn filter. What else does a hacker know?”

Kara made a note to look up ‘porn’ later. “Winn is an inventor. He makes weapons for the FBI, and I had him make you a special one.”

Suddenly, Kara was the one being led by Alex. “Let’s go find him.”

Kara laughed as she steered Alex near the wall. “It’s over here where I could keep an eye on it.”

She picked up a lockbox with a giant tag that said ‘Alexandra Danvers.’

“You didn’t have to use my full name,” Alex grumbled, taking the key Kara held out for her. She eagerly opened the box and stared at the gun. “What does it do?”

“Winn can tell you the schematics later, but basically it fires a short, controlled burst that can hurt and stun almost anything.”

“This…this is the best present ever,” Alex exclaimed, pulling Kara into a hard hug. “I can’t wait to try it out.”

Kara turned her face into Alex’s neck, savoring her wonderful scent and this moment. She knew her time was running short.

Eventually, they pulled apart, and Alex carefully locked her present back up. She was thinking they’d stop by a gun range on the way home after the party. For now, she got another drink and leaned against a wall with Kara, watching the party continue.

“How did you do this?” Alex asked, looking around in wonder. Kara smiled as she glanced down at her watch to see the department’s Christmas Spirit was safely in the green. “I’ve been saving up my allowance from the North Pole, going to work at the fishing docks in the early morning for extra money, and just building what I could by hand. I _am_ talented.”

Alex leaned over to kiss her cheek. “You sure are.”

Kara spent the rest of the night wondering how she could get Alex to do that again, but multiple times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You should head to Youtube and watch Melissa Benoist singing 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' and 'First Noel.'


	12. December 23rd

“Why did I let you talk me into this?” Alex asked, looking at the spread of hors-d'oeuvres. She and Kara had been cooking for hours. “And who is coming again?”

Kara allowed herself a moment of selfishness and kissed Alex on the cheek as she walked by. They had been exchanging those freely since the FBI party, and Kara savored each one.

“You let me talk you into this because you knew it was good for you.”

Alex opened her mouth to disagree, but Kara continued. “It’s Lucy and Vasquez. They asked if they could bring their friend Maggie, and I said yes. Then there is Winn, his boyfriend James, and their friend Lena. I’m excited to meet James. Winn says he works at this magazine called CatCo. I read up on their owner, and she sounds amazing. I wonder what it would be like to work at a magazine.”

Alex had never read a CatCo magazine in her life, but she had heard of Cat Grant. “I bet James could get you a job there if you wanted. I mean…if you wanted to stick around in National City.”

 She cursed her statement as she watched a miserable look come across Kara’s face. This was not the time for them to start this long conversation. She regretted bringing it up.

“Alex, there is something I should tell you,” Kara carefully started. She looked distraught, and Alex refused to let this happen before Kara’s party.

“Is that them?” Alex asked, suddenly turning away to walk to the door. “Did you hear a knock?”

“What?” Kara hadn’t even heard them buzz to be let into the building. “No. No one’s out there. Alex…”

Alex made a show of opening the door and looking down both sides of the hallway. “I guess you were right. I wish they’d hurry up. I’m starving.”

Kara sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She guessed their talk could wait. “It’s not even eight yet. They’ll be here soon.”

“Well I’m just going to help myself until they do,” Alex decided. She popped one of the peanut butter balls into her mouth before Kara could stop her. “Hmm. Good.”

“Alex!” Kara scolded, reaching over to smack her only to have Alex dance out of the way. “Don’t. Those are for when the guests get here.”

“Oh yeah? And how are you going to stop me?” Alex asked, a smug look on her face as she reached for another appetizer.

“I’ll start singing. I’ll sing right now, right here. I’ll sing that song I played on repeat this morning for an hour before you told me to stop for the love of all things Christmas. I’ll sing ‘This Holiday Night.’”

Alex actually no problem with Kara’s singing. She loved every moment of it since the party, but she couldn’t let her image slip. She pointed a finger at her. “Don’t you do it. Don’t. Don’t. Kara, don’t.”

Kara smirked as she immediately disobeyed.

_Black tower chimes as I watch through my window._

Alex let out a long groan, leaning on the kitchen island until her head was buried in her arms.

_Snowflakes have scattered like dandelion fur. Eagerly waiting for guests to arrive. Music is playing this holiday night_.

Alex scoffed at the counter. “No one waits eagerly for guests to arrive.”

Kara would not be deterred. She moved closer to Alex as she continued to sing.

_Presents are covered in ribbons and laces. Long distance tidings so happy and bright. Lighting the fire that crackles and pops_.

“We’re not lighting a fire. Smoke gets everywhere.” Alex lifted herself and turned to face the unrelenting singer.

_Togetherness lives on this holiday night_.

“You’re evil. That’s all there is to this.”

  _It's that time of year to give help and good cheer_.

Kara wrapped her arm around Alex’s waist and used her other to take her hand. She moved them into the tiniest of dances.

_Singing and dancing with those who are dear. It's a magical time to be giving and kind. Spread peace, love and joy on this holiday night_.

“You’re spreading silliness,” Alex insisted, but she took the lead in their dance. Together they spun into the living room. Kara found herself struggling to remember the lyrics.

_Angels and snowmen and fun snowball fighting. Embracing and laughter, it's a beautiful sight. Fragrance of baking is still in the air. Our bellies are full on this holiday night_.

Alex meant to make a joke about Kara’s belly never been full, but somewhere between angels and laughter, they had stopped dancing. Kara’s voice had sunk to a whisper as they just held each other. 

  _Comfy and cozy and my favorite jacket. Listening to stories of years long ago. Sparkling wonder festival of lights. Winter is warm on this holiday night._

Kara was incredibly warm. Warmer than a human, Alex decided. And since she was always a little cold that suited her just fine. She glanced down at Kara’s lips. She knew they’d be warm too.

“Alex,” Kara whispered. Their party members were outside.

“I know. Promise me we’ll talk after they leave,” Alex pleaded. She also pleaded with any gods listen. Please let Kara stay and maybe share a real kiss with me.

“I promise.”

They pulled away as someone knocked on the door. Alex figured someone must have let them in the building, or Lucy flashed her badge. She opened the door to see six people outside. Two she knew, two she kind of knew, and two she had no idea about. “Did you carpool or something?”

“Just great timing,” Winn announced, leading the way inside. “Kara. You have to tell James and Lena about how you got the reindeer at the party. I just don’t know how you did it.”

“This is Lena,” James politely introduced for his boyfriend. “Lena, this is Alex and Kara.”

Alex didn’t miss the way Lena’s eyes lingered on Kara, and a wave of possessiveness flared up.  She didn’t have time to reflect on the feeling as a case of beer was pushed into her chest. Lucy said, “And this is Maggie Sawyer. She’s a detective.”

Alex gave Maggie a double take. If there were no Kara, she would consider asking that woman out. She was hot and looked like she was good with a gun.

“What’s this about reindeer?” Maggie asked, still looking at Alex.

Kara had never been possessive in her whole life. She had shared anything and everything she owned. However, at that moment, she wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around Alex and declare her hers. She firmly had to stomp that feeling down and blamed it on the reindeer.

“Two reindeer showed up at the FBI party,” Lucy explained. “We still don’t know how Kara did it.”

You don’t know because I didn’t do it, Kara thought. She could remember the moment hotel staff had led Comet and Donner into the ballroom. They had naturally assumed the docile creatures were part of her winter wonderland. Kara couldn’t send them away, especially not after the children saw them. Kara had spent the rest of the night helping children pet the pair and diligently answering questions about Santa.

She wasn’t upset about their interaction with the kids: Comet loved children and Donner loved to be petted. She was upset they had shown up at all. To make matters worse, neither reindeer said a word as they left. Kara supposed they were checking up on her.

She smiled, shaking the nasty memories away. “I can’t share Santa’s secrets. Now, help yourself.”

“This looks delicious,” James said. “We brought board games.”

Alex looked horrified. “Board games?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -keyboard smash- why won't you kiss already!!! You two are killing me!
> 
> Happy New Year Everybody!


	13. Decemeber 24: Part 1

**1: 30 AM**

“Good night,” Kara called after their party goers. “Merry Christmas Eve.”

“Night,” The six called back. Alex collapsed on her couch as Kara closed the door. “That was just too much work.”

Kara had to smile at how pleasantly exhausted Alex looked. “But you had fun. You won almost all of those board games. Though Maggie did give you a run for your money.”

Alex chuckled. “Yes. Yes, she did. I think we might catch a beer together one day.”

Kara joined her on the couch and fiddled with the ends of her sleeves. “Did you…like her?”

The agent turned in her spot to face Kara. “Did you like Lena? You two talked for almost half an hour in the kitchen.”

Kara hadn’t thought Alex noticed that. She had seemed so into playing games with Maggie, Winn, and Lucy. “Lena is really nice. She even offered me a job. Did you know she owns her own company?”

Alex did know that, but she decided not to go into Lena’s company or her family. There was honestly only one thing she wanted to talk about.

“Kara?” Alex waited until blue eyes met hers. “Do you like me?”

Kara blushed, looking away. “Of course I do, Alex. I’ve never had a better friend.”

Alex tried not to feel disappointed. That wasn’t what she was going for, but maybe Kara hadn’t understood the question. She tried again. “I’ve never had a better friend either, but that’s not what I meant when I asked if you liked me. I want to know if you romantically like me. I like you like that. Would you consider…I don’t know…going on a date with me?”

Kara had never known she could feel so thrilled and devastated at the same time. Alex liked her! Liked her enough to ask her out on a date! But she couldn’t stay. Alex didn’t even know the real Kara.

“Alex…” She started, swallowing back tears. She was going to tell Alex everything.

Alex moved closer on the couch and rested her hand on Kara’s leg. “I already know, Kara.”

Kara hung her head. “You couldn’t possibly know.”

Alex ducked her head to try to catch Kara’s eyes. “I do know. I know you’re an alien.”

She barely avoided a goose egg as Kara’s head snapped up. “What?”

“I know you’re an alien,” Alex repeated with a soft smile. “I know you have superpowers. I know, and it’s okay.”

Kara was flabbergasted. Alex had known the truth all along.

“My mother figured it out first,” Alex explained. “She and I are experts on extraterrestrial life, but she is miles ahead of me in that field. I was a little blindsided by _who_ you were to figure out _what_ you were until she pointed it out. I know you’re an alien, Kara, and I still _very_ much like you.”

Kara couldn’t stop the happy tears running down her cheeks. “I really like you too, Alex.”

Alex reached over to brush them away. “Will you go on a date with me then?”

She grunted, surprised, as she was tackled back onto the couch in a hug. Before she could laugh and make a joke about whether that was a ‘yes,’ Alex found herself being kissed on the lips.

Kara immediately leaned back on one arm and covered her mouth with the other. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

Alex surged up and moved her hand out of the way to kiss those warms lips again. She settled back onto the cushions once she felt assured Kara knew she didn’t have to apologize for the first kiss. She allowed a little smug smile to cross her face when she saw Kara’s eyes were still closed.

Kara slowly opened her eyes. She wanted to touch her lips again, but only to press in the memory of Alex’s lips. “I’ve never done anything like that before.”

“Was it okay?” Alex asked, her smugness being overridden by her desire to protect Kara. Even if that meant protecting Kara from herself. “We don’t have to rush into anything. I just wanted to let you know it’s okay to kiss me.”

“It was fantastic,” Kara whispered. She looked down at Alex’s lips and blushed. “It’s just…I know there’s more to kissing. But I don’t know how to do it.”

She let out a yelp when her position was flipped to the bottom. Kara stared up at Alex in awe. “How did you do that?”

“Trade secrets.” Alex braced herself on her arms. “I could show you more about kissing if you want. It could be an early Christmas present from me to you.”

“I love presents,” Kara insisted, pulling the other woman back down. She had years of kissing experience to catch up on.

 

*

**2:15 AM**

 

“Okay,” Alex said with another kiss. “We need to take a break.”

Kara moaned in displeasure and followed Alex upright to continue kissing. “I’m fine.”

Alex laughed, turning her head away. “Okay. _I_ need a break.”

Kara’s warm insides turn to ice. “Did I do something wrong?”

The look of fear had Alex leaning over to kiss her again. “No. Absolutely not. I just need to cool down.”

“Cool down?” Kara asked, confused. She perked up at a thought. “Oh. Do you mean kissing on the roof? I bet that would be fun.”

Alex had to laugh. Kara was so eager it was infectious. And the alien was terrific at kissing once Alex had shown her the basics. But how to make Kara understand what she meant by cooling down?

Alex took a moment to evaluate her kissing partner. She brushed a brief kiss on her lips before moving to kiss down her jawline. She placed a few select kisses along Kara’s neck before pressing her lips against her pulse point.

Kara gasped as she felt a shiver of warm tingles run through her. She now knew exactly what Alex meant. “Cooling down, right.  I’m with you.”

Alex leaned back. In trying to show her point she had made herself even more aroused. She pushed off the couch to go to the fridge. “I need a beer. Want anything?”

“A water please,” Kara requested, placing her fingers against her neck. She shivered.

As she waited for Alex to return to her couch, she glanced down at her watch out of habit. She nearly flew through the roof in excitement. Instead, she flew to the other woman.

Alex grunted as she was slammed into from behind and wrapped in a giant hug. “Geez. What’s this for?”

“You’re happy,” Kara cried into Alex’s neck. Alex gave a confused laugh as she closed the fridge. “Okay?”

“No. I mean it. You’re really into the Christmas Spirit.”

Alex grinned as she turned around into the embrace. “I was just thinking how this has been the best Christmas in a long time, but how did you know that? Can you read minds?”

“No,” Kara happily snorted. She showed Alex her watch. “See.”

Alex glanced at the watch. She had never shown much interest in it before. It had a weird face, but she assumed it was telling the time on Kara’s homeworld or her power levels. She thought it was alienly related. Now the tiny face was shooting off fireworks as the needle on top and bottom rested in the green zones of the face.

As they watched, small words appeared. “Congratulations! Come home!”

Alex frowned. “What does that mean?”

Kara pulled back her watch. “It means I can go home if I wanted too. I completed my mission.”

Alex set down the beer and water on the counter. “What mission?”

Kara felt her stomach fall. She had thought Alex knew. Alex said she knew! Apparently, Alex only knew half the truth.

“I was sent here on a mission. I couldn’t go home if I failed. Alex, you have to know I couldn’t fail. It’s my only home,” Kara pleaded with her to understand.

“Sent here?” Alex asked, cocking her head. She didn’t understand “Here where? To National City? To the bureau? To my apartment?”

Kara wished she could make herself smaller. “All three.”

Alex took a step back. “I’m…part of your mission? What the fuck is your mission?”

Kara held her hands, trying to keep the situation from growing out of control. “Alex, I told the truth the moment I met you. I told you why I was here. I didn’t lie to you about that. I’ve never lied to you.”

Alex tried to think back to the first words Kara said to her. Something about the meaning of Christmas.

“Just spell it out for me,” She snapped.

“I was sent here to increase the Christmas Spirit of the FBI department and…even more than that, I was sent here to show you the true meaning of Christmas,” Kara said, her words barely a whisper as she finished. Alex looked livid.

“What the fuck does Christmas have to do with you going home to your planet?”

Kara winced. “No. Not my planet. My planet…Anyway…I told you the truth from the beginning, Alex. I’m from the North Pole. Santa Claus sent me on this mission.”

Alex wanted to scrub this night…no…correction…this month from her memory. She had fallen for some two-faced alien. Or a delusional one. She couldn’t decide which was worse. The agent decided to stick with the facts. There was no fucking North Pole, there was no fucking Santa Claus, and she had just been the alien’s mission.

“So…all of this…was what?” Alex asked, looking around her Christmas-themed apartment. “Just a little side quota for you? Does your kind get off on the psychological feelings associated with Christmas? Is that what you feed off of?”

“What?” Kara gasped. “No. Alex, that’s not…”

“Then what?” Alex shouted. “Why are you here, in my apartment, going on and on about Christmas Spirit if there isn’t some alien stuff involved? What’s the big deal about Christmas Spirit?”

Honestly, Kara didn’t know. It was just something J’onn, M’gann, and the elves had always placed at the utmost importance. She took a step forward to grab Alex’s hand. She had to make her understand.

“Don’t touch me,” Alex growled, jerking away. “You might as well go feed off someone else because I’m never going to enjoy any of this Christmas shit again.”

Kara felt coldness on her wrist, and she regrettably looked down. Alex’s Christmas Spirit had fallen back to zero. Kara could even feel her own spirits falling.

Alex couldn’t look at her anymore. “Get out. Find someone else to be your mission, or just go home. I don’t care.”

Kara swallowed as tears fell from her eyes. The fireworks and message had vanished. She had failed just as she succeeded. She couldn’t go home. She now had no home. With a sob, Kara flew out of the apartment.

Alex stood at her counter for a long time. Finally, she grabbed the now luke-warm beer and twisted off the top. She went to chug it back but froze at the first taste of it on her tongue. It was one of Kara’s holiday beers.

She threw the bottle against the wall with an angry scream and pushed her fists into her eyes. “Fuck!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case I didn't make that painful enough: Alex stopped believing in Santa Claus when he didn't bring her father back to life for Christmas.


	14. December 24th Part 2

**7 AM**

 

M’gann flew into the Command Area. She may have knocked a few elves out of the way in her rush, but she had never heard that alarm before. “What happened?”

“It’s Christmas Spirit, Mrs. Santa!” Inky shouted above the alarm. “It’s reaching the infimum!”

“But what happened?” M’gann repeated. “We were low, but there was plenty of cheer to make it through another year.”

“It’s Kara, Mrs. Santa,” Sparklers regrettably reported. “Santa had us keep tabs on her and Alex Danvers’ Christmas Spirit when she went down south. You have to see this.”

Three Spirit Meters appeared on the giant screen side by side. One was Kara’s, one was Alex’s, and the third was the world’s.

“This is time-lapsed over the month,” Sparkler said before playing the video. Kara’s spirit started off in the low, yellow range while Alex had no Christmas Spirit. M’gann knew that. It was a secret she and J’onn kept from Kara for years. Kara never really was filled with the spirit of Christmas. But who could blame the child after all she had been through?

Over the month, both spirit meters started to fill. Kara’s was actually in the green by the time Alex’s reach yellow. M’gann was stunned to see the world’s meter rise with Kara’s. It instantly made sense that such a powerful being would have more effect on the world’s spirit meter. Then the time-lapse showed last night’s measurements where both spirits were in the green and Kara’s was actually full. The world’s meter was still in the yellow, but it was as high as M’gann could remember it being in years.

Then that morning both meters dropped. Alex’s went instantly back to zero while Kara’s fell to the range she started with. However, Kara’s spirit continued to decline over the next few hours and so did the world’s. The time-lapse video ended and the current readings came on the screen. Kara’s spirit level was almost empty, and the world was very close to danger.

The alarms stopped. Nobody moved. The eeriest bell M’gann ever heard started to ring from somewhere deep beneath her feet. _Dong. Dong. Dong_.

Correction: the world _was_ in danger.

Inky paled, and he would have gulped, but the moisture in his mouth had vanished. His grandmother had told him this day would come. “They’ve awakened.”

M’gann wasted no time. “Prepare all stations for an attack and radio Santa that he needs to get back here ASAP. I need every gunner in a tower or on the walls. Someone prepare my helicopter. I’m going to escort Santa back home personally. He should be past the Samoan Islands. Remember! We must protect the reindeer at all cost!”

“Yes, ma’am!” The elves shouted, running to do their errands. They each knew their stations. They had done countless drills before though never when Kara was around. J’onn and M’gann never wanted to place her in danger.

*

J’onn waved at the NORAD pilot who tipped her wings at him. He settled back into the sleigh and enjoyed the cold wind blowing through his beard. Martians didn’t usually have hair, and M’gann refused to let him grow a beard the rest of the year.

Vixen gave a nervous worry. Something was dreadfully wrong. She could feel it and neighed. J’onn straightened and looked around. “What is it?”

He felt the ancient bell vibrate his bones as the reindeer started to panic. Each one of them let out high pitch wails. “They have awakened.”

“Steady, ladies!” J’onn shouted. He picked up his radio to call back to the workshop just as Sparkler called him. “Santa! Over.”

“We know. Over.”

“Mrs. Santa says she’s coming to escort you home. We have to get the reindeer back here. Over.”

“Girls! We’re turning around. Steady,” J’onn called out. He focused back on the radio. “What happened to Christmas Spirit? We were doing amazing just before I left to deliver presents. Better than we have in years. Over.”

“It was Kara, Santa. Her spirit meter has fallen into the red, and Alex Danvers’ went back to zero. Over.”

“Shit,” He cursed. Sparkler would normally be offended, but she decided to let this one go. He got back on the radio. “Change of plans. We’re going to National City.”

The reindeer and the elf screeched in protest. He shouted above them. “Hey! We’re going to need them in this fight! And more than that, we’re going to need their spirits!”

“Sparkler, tell M’gann to fetch Kara wherever she is and get her back to the North Pole. I’m going to get Alex Danvers, but first, patch me into Major Lucy Lane.”

“Yes, Santa,” Sparkler meekly replied. She hoped she lived to see the end of the day. “It’s ringing, Santa.”

“Hello?” Lucy’s sleepy, but alert voice came on the line.

“Lucy, it is J’onn.”

“Santa shouldn’t you be delivering presents right now?” Lucy asked, looking at her clock and then at her sleeping lover. “What’s wrong?”

“They’ve awakened.”

Lucy quickly rose out of bed. “What do I need to do? Should I alert the Pentagon?”

“No. I’ll handle that call if it comes to that. We need Kara to win this fight.”

“Oh. She was at Alex’s last night,” Lucy said, looking around as if the blonde would magically appear in her apartment. “I don’t know where she would be now.”

“I’ve got someone on Kara. What I need is something for Kara to fight for. I need Alex. I think Kara told her the truth. I’ll explain more when I pick you up. I should be there in ten minutes. We have to get Alex.”

“I’ll be ready and up on my roof,” Lucy promised.

 

**7:45 AM**

 

Alex bolted upright from the couch when she heard a heavy thump on the roof. Her first instinct was to reach for her gun, but it was by her bed. She looked up as she heard lots of footsteps.

“Kara?” The word escaped her mouth before she could stop it. It caused her annoyance and anger to flare. What was she doing back here?

But part of Alex also felt a speck of guilt. Maybe she had been too harsh last night. Perhaps she hadn’t given Kara enough time to explain.

Two more loud thumps brought Alex’s attention back to the matter at hand. “What in the hell is she doing up there?”

Alex went into Kara’s room…the guest room she corrected herself…and up onto the fire escape. Her mouth was set to snap at the blonde as the roof came into view, but instead, it fell open. On her roof were eight reindeer connected to a large, beautiful red sleigh. She blinked a few times, but it was still there.

“Agent Danvers,” A voice greeted. “We’ve been waiting for you.”

Alex ducked and reached for her gun at the same time. She cursed the fact it was still by her bed. She hadn’t thought she would need it for round two with Kara.

“Steady, Alex,” Lucy called out. “He’s a friend.”

“Lucy?” Alex looked back onto the roof to see her boss standing by the sleigh holding thick, snow jackets in her arms. She finished climbing the fire escape to evaluate the strange man staring at her.

“Who the hell is that?” She gestured at the man who looked and dressed suspiciously like Santa Claus.

Lucy had to laugh despite their dire situation. “I’m sorry. Santa Claus, this is Alex Danvers. Agent Danvers, this is Santa Claus.”

J’onn transformed into his Martian form before holding out his hand. “You may also call me J’onn J’onzz.  I am from the planet Mars.”

Alex took his hand in awe. “An alien? Santa Claus is an alien?”

J’onn allowed himself one chuckle. “Yes.”

Alex was furious. Why hadn’t Kara said Santa Claus was an alien and his workshop was just a harbor for wayward extraterrestrials? She would have believed that.

“J’onn, there isn’t time. We need to go,” Lucy said, looking at her watch. J’onn gravely nodded. “Agent Danvers, we need you to come to the North Pole with us. An old, alien enemy of Earth has awakened since Christmas Spirit has fallen so low. We need your help in the fight.”

Alex _knew_ there was some weird alien shit going on with Christmas Spirit. Her smugness quickly faded when she realized Kara had been telling the truth. Kara hadn’t been two-faced or delusional. If anything, Alex had just been a bitch.

“Kara,” She said, looking around as if the blonde would hear her call and land beside her at any moment. “I need to talk to Kara.”

“She’s going to meet us there. My wife is fetching her as we speak,” J’onn promised. “You need to dress warmly and get back up here on the double.”

Alex didn’t need to be told twice. She jumped half of the stairs down and leaped into her apartment with a roll. She dressed in her thickest clothes. Her bulletproof vest was placed on top with her gun holstered on the side. A quick afterthought had Alex diving for her closet. She opened the lockbox that held her Christmas surprise from Kara.

“Let’s hope you work,” She whispered. She ran back up to the roof to find J’onn and Lucy waiting in the sleigh. Lucy handed her a coat and gestured for her to get into the back. Alex settled in by a giant, lumpy, red bag. She hoped it was filled with grenades instead of toys.

J’onn slapped his reins, and they shot off from the roof. Alex tried to grab hold of something to steady herself, and once they were at cruising speed, she dared a look over the edge. They were pretty high up.

“This is some impressive alien tech,” She commented. Alex settled back into her seat. “I demand a full explanation.”

J’onn shook his head. “It’s a long story. Where should I start?”

“Ice monsters?” Lucy suggested. Alex glanced at the pair. “How about we start with how you two know each other?”

J’onn and Lucy shared a look and laughed. Lucy said, looking back, “Let’s just say I met Santa one Christmas in Kandahar.”

“Afghanistan?” Alex repeated. She knew there was more to that story, but her boss didn’t seem forthcoming. “Okay, so what was that ice monsters?”

“About 2.6 million years ago the Pleistocene Epoch period started. That was caused by an alien landing. He was a Litho-Titan warrior king. The elves say he was 35 feet tall and weighed over 30,000 pounds. For millions of years, he ruled with his ice creatures and frost minions. He could spawn as many as he wanted while never tiring.”

Lucy passed back a stack of papers for Alex to look out. They were copies of old cave and parchment drawings showing monsters made of ice. Further in the pile were elf documentations. Ice creatures looked like six-foot golems that multiplied in significant numbers whereas he frost minions looked like deadly six-foot birds.

“The elves took it upon themselves to fight the litho-titans. They had to protect their world, and they fought fiercely. But the king Titan could just spawn more ice creatures and frost minions. Almost all of eleven races were slaughtered until only one northern tribe was left. With the help of their reindeer and a young human species, they found a way to fight the Titans. It was something simple. It had been a festival celebrating the end of the shortest day, and the humans enjoyed the elves’ company, food, and gifts. That celebration created what we call Christmas Spirit, and it weakened the litho-titans. It drove them back so much the humans and elves were able to live another year.”

“Every year the elves and reindeer repeated the tradition of bringing food and gifts to the humans. Every year they drove the litho-titans further and further back to the poles. They were retreating what laymen call the ice age. Around three hundred years ago I arrived on Earth and agreed to help the elves. I became their figurehead, and I continued to help bring Christmas Spirit and cheer. As long as the world’s spirit was high enough, the litho-titans would continue to sleep. However, spirit levels have been declining for years. This year it got too low, and the Titans have awakened.”

“Litho-titans probably feed off of negative emotions,” Alex muttered, mostly to herself. “The lack of negative emotions must cause their need to hibernate.”

J’onn nodded. “Your mother said the same thing when I told her this story a few dozen years ago.”

Alex stared at him. “My mother?”

He flashed a wicked grin back at her. “Didn’t your mother tell you Santa Claus was real?”

She could only gape at him. Of course, Eliza told her Santa Claus was real. But she hadn’t said Santa was an alien! Alex just thought her mother was keeping up a joke.

“Why didn’t she tell me you were a Martian?”

Lucy answered, “Because it’s classified information. Only a dozen or so people know in the world.”

Alex crossed her arms. She still thought she should have been told.

“Workshop to Santa! Workshop to Santa! Over!” Inky called over the radio.

J’onn snatched the radio control. “This is Santa. We’re on our way back. Report. Over.”

“They’re hundreds of them,” Inky said. “We’re trying to hold them off, but it’s difficult!”

“We’ll be there soon, Inky. Hold down the workshop. We need somewhere to land. We have to protect the reindeer. Over.”

“I understand, Santa. Over and out.”

Alex understood everything that was exchanged except the last bit of the conversation. “Protect the reindeer?”

 

**8:20 AM**

 

M’gann cursed as she tried to land in the ice field. There was no safe space to land. Her co-pilot elf, Frosty, grimaced but held his tongue.

Kara merely sat on one of the ice chunks, watching her. M’gann cursed again. “Shit. Okay. Frosty, keep us hovering. I’m going to fly down.”

Frosty nodded, assuming control of the helicopter. His controls on the left were a tenth of the size of M’gann’s controls on the left.

M’gann took off her harness and moved to the back of the helicopter. She opened the door and hovered out, taken a moment to close the door again. She flew down to Kara’s side. Frosty raised the helicopter in elevation so they could talk above the noise.

“What are you doing here?” M’gann asked, looking around at the South Pole. “Do you know how far I had to fly to find you?”

Kara shrugged. “I thought this could be my new home. I could make it out of ice and call it the Fortress of Solitude.”

“That is the dumbest idea I have ever heard. You don’t belong down here. You belong with people,” M’gann said. “Kara, I need you to come back to the North Pole with me.”

Kara shook her head. “I failed. I can’t go back up there. I can’t go back to Alex either.”

Her tears instantly froze as they left her eyes, and she brushed them away. “Just go, M’gann. I’ll be fine here.”

M’gann reached over to lift Kara to her feet. “Kara, we have to go. The North Pole is under attack by ice monsters, and we have to save it. J’onn, Lucy, and Alex are already there.”

“Alex is at the North Pole?” Kara repeated, unable to understand. “She doesn’t believe in Santa Claus.”

M’gann rolled her eyes. “It’s hard to ignore when Santa lands on your roof with your boss. She’s going up there to fight for you, Kara. She only wanted to talk to you, but J’onn told her you were up there. If we don’t go now, Kara, she will be in danger.”

She watched as Kara straightened and clenched her fists. She looked every bit of a hero in human clothes. “I’ll meet you there!” In a flash, she was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never intended for Christmas Eve to be this long! Hopefully only one more part.


	15. December 24th Part Three

8:25 AM

 

Kara hovered to a stop outside of the workshop. It was a war zone. The bodies of ice creatures and frost minions littered the field outside of the walls. The walls were prickled with ice spikes. She watched a pack of ice creatures fire a round of spikes at an elf in a gunner tower. Before Kara could even move, the elf was impaled and killed.

Kara had only come to the North Pole to get Alex to safety. She never intended to stay and fight. But she could see the bodies of a dozen dead elves along the wall, holding their tiny flame guns. They had died trying to protect their home. She didn’t yet know they had died trying to protect their world. With an angry yell, she flew full speed into the pack of ice creatures. She was going to make them pay.

 

8:33 AM

 

Alex was firing guns with both hands at the frost minions above her. They were swarming the east side while the ice creatures focused on the south entrance.

“J’onn!”

Alex watched as a feminine Martian came running towards them. “I just made it back. Are the reindeer safe?”

“They’re down in the vault. The elves are getting them ready,” J’onn said, firing a flame cannon at a nearby frost minion. “Where is Kara?”

“She’s on the south side fighting the ice creatures.”

Alex took off on the run heading south. M’gann, J’onn, and Lucy watched her leave. M’gann said, “I’m guessing that was Agent Danvers.”

“She and Kara had a fight, and she acted like an ass,” Lucy apologetically explained. She paused to fire an entire clip into a frost minion flying towards her. “I’ll go after her.”

“No,” J’onn said. “We need you here protecting this door. This is the only way down to the vault. I’ll send an elf to them.”

He waved his flame cannon in an arc, keeping the flyers at bay. “M’gann. I think we need a taller, crowd-controller.”

M’gann gave a terse nod. Lucy watched as she transformed from a green to white Martian who was twice as large. M’gann could now easily reach out to grab a frost minion and slam it into the ground.

Lucy chuckled, “Hulk smash.”

 

8:37 AM

 

Alex ducked behind a building that was labeled ‘Gift Wrapping’ as she narrowly avoided being impaled by an icicle the ice creature had shot out of his hand. She glanced around the corner and jerked back as another spike dug a chunk out of the wall where her head had been. “You mother fucker.”

Two buildings away, Kara froze. She knew that dirty language anywhere. She looked around with her x-ray vision until she saw her foul-mouthed friend. “Alex!”

Alex looked up to see Kara flying towards her. “Kara! Watch out there’s a…”

She was silenced as a pair of red beams shot out of Kara’s eyes and disintegrated the ice creature that had been following her. She mentally checked another box: heat-vision.

Kara landed beside her and pulled Alex into a quick hug. She kept her hands on Alex’s arms as she looked her up and down. “Are you okay?”

Alex selfishly savored the hug she knew she didn’t deserve after the way she acted. “Yes, but more importantly, are _you_ okay?”

Kara let go of her hold on Alex and took a step back, remembering their fight only hours ago. “Yes. I’m fine.”

Alex could see she wasn’t. She regained the distance between them, taking her hands. “Kara, I’m sorry I didn’t let you explain. I’m sorry I didn’t believe you. I’m sorry I told you to leave. I didn’t really want you to go, and I hated myself the moment you flew away. Next time, don’t fly so far. Lucy said Mrs. Santa had to go all the way to the South Pole to get you. What were you doing down there?”

Kara looked away. Alex squeezed her hands. “Hey. I meant it when I said you could tell me anything.”

“Look what happened the last time when I tried that,” Kara snapped. She instantly regretted her words and tried to reach up to cover her mouth in horror. Alex refused to let go of her hands.

She gave a self-deprecating smile. “That’s true. In fairness, I did warn you about how I react. I said I couldn’t promise I wouldn’t get upset or say hurtful things. I would have been ready to talk if you had come back to the apartment though. I still would have been mad, but I like to believe I would have heard you out.”

“You told me to leave,” Kara said, unable to keep looking at her. Alex sighed and used Kara’s hands to pull her closer so that their bodies were pressed together. She moved Kara’s hands around her back so that they were wrapped around her, and she laid her head on her shoulder. “Not forever. We both have to work on communicating. That can be our first goal for dating.”

Kara turned her head to Alex’s neck and greedily took in her scent. “We’re still dating?”

“If you accept my apology and if you still want too,” Alex said. She let out a little sigh. “I hate to interrupt this moment, but there is a horde of ice creatures marching towards us.”

Kara pulled back but didn’t give the monsters any attention. “You can’t take all of the blame. I may have told you the truth when I met you, but I never tried to mention it again. I never said you were ‘officially’ my mission or what all was at stake. You’re right; we both have to learn to communicate.”

Alex fired her gun at the left without looking. She hit one ice creature, and the blast knocked him back six feet. It took four other creatures down with him. “Yeah, but elves raised you. It’s understandable you don’t know how to communicate with humans. What’s my excuse?”

Kara may have been tempting fate, but she took the time to steal a kiss. “You’re my beautiful Grinch. That’s your excuse.”

Alex dove behind a spare Santa sleigh to avoid a volley of ice spikes while Kara flew up into the air.

“Since we’re here and talking, is there anything else you want to tell me?” Alex shouted as she braced her back against the side of the sleigh for cover. She could feel it shaking each time an ice spike slammed into it.

“Did I mention I’m an alien from the planet Krypton?” Kara shouted back as she used her heat vision to keep the ice creatures at bay. Alex rolled her eyes. “You don’t say?”

“Do you think this is really the time for sarcasm?”

Alex turned to start shooting, taking her time to blast the ice creatures that would knock back the most of its allies. “Any time is the right time for sarcasm. You would know that if you weren’t a sheltered Santa elf from the planet Krypton.”

Kara was a little upset by the comment and the strength of her heat vision intensified. “I’m not an elf!”

Alex leaned back as the beam cut through the entire front line of frost creatures. She made a mental note to never call Kara an elf again.

 

9:14 AM

 

Alex cursed as her gun stopped firing. She was surprised it had continued to work so long before overheating. She made a mental note to get together with Winn to work on a better heatsink if she made it out of this alive.

“They just keep coming, Kara! I think the king litho-titan just keeps spawning them!” Alex shouted up at Kara. She could see the alien was wearing out. She doubted Kara had ever had a reason to use her powers so often.

“The what?” Kara asked. She took a moment to snap the wings off a dozen frost minions, before flying back to Alex’s side.

“Didn’t anyone explain what’s going on?” Alex asked, switching to her FBI issued firearm. Kara fidgeted. “M’gann probably wanted to explain, but I flow straight here when she said you were in danger.”

Alex was touched. She wore a pleased smile as she shot at the eyes of the grounded frost minions.

“Kara! Agent Danvers!” Inky shouted, running up behind them. He was clearly out of breath. “Santa needs you back at the vault. Now!”

“We’re going,” Kara said. Alex and Inky let out identical shouts of surprise as they were taken into Kara’s arms and flown into the sky.

“That was a rush,” Alex said when Kara placed her down in front of the vault. “We’ll have to try that again when we’re not being attacked.”

Kara beamed. She would love to take Alex flying again.

Inky shakily adjusted his pants. He would be so glad when this day was over one way or another.

Lucy was resting against a wall, holding a bandage to her cheek. “The bastards just keep coming. We haven’t even seen the Titan king.”

“King?” Kara repeated. “There’s a king?”

“Something like that,” J’onn said, coming out of the vault. “Kara, with me. You and I will be protecting the reindeer. The others have to hold the ice monsters here.”

Kara looked back at Alex who was taking an AK-47 from an elf. She made a show of reading the tag. “To Billy Bob from Santa. I’ll try to get this back to Billy Bob in one piece.”

Alex saw the worried look on Kara’s face and gave her a reassuring smile. “Hey. I’ll be just fine. Don’t worry.”

Kara wanted to smile back at her, to let Alex know everything was going to be okay. Everything she had ever cared for on Earth was in danger: J’onn, M’gann, Alex, and the North Pole. Perhaps even the world was in danger, and everything depended on J’onn and the reindeer. How could she smile knowing that?

All Kara could manage was a nod before she followed J’onn down into the vault doors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Billy Bob would later wonder why his new AK-47 felt 'thoroughly used.'
> 
> So Christmas Eve will be 4 parts. There just isn't enough hours in the day.


	16. December 24th Part Four

**9:41 AM**

 

Even though she was worried, Kara took the time to view her surroundings as they moved deeper under the earth. This was another part of the workshop she had never been allowed into. The pair ran so fast they were practically flying down the halls.

The steel-enforced concrete walls turned into brick as they went further down. Brick walls turned into wood which faded into stone. Each part seemed to be older than the rest. J’onn saw her curious look and tried to explain.

“The elves have maintained this cave system for millenniums. I’ve been trying to upgrade the work the elves did.”

“What are the reindeer going to do to stop those ice monsters anyway?” Kara asked.

“It’s easier to show you,” J’onn said. They flew until stone walls turned into natural crystal formations. J’onn and Kara came to a stop in an antechamber.

Kara shivered. She could feel the raw power radiating from the main room ahead of her. She carefully followed him into the room and gasped at the wave of energy that ran through her. “What’s in here?”

“One of the twelve zodiac crystals,” J’onn said. Kara meant to ask him what a zodiac crystal was, but she was awestruck by the beauty of the room. The chamber was made out of a mixture of quartz and ice. It was brightly lit though she could see no light source. In the middle of the chamber on a pedestal stood a two-foot crystal statue of a centaur holding a bow. The reindeer were gathered around the middle of the room, shaking their heads back and forth.

J’onn gave the reindeer and crystal a wide berth. “Long ago an ancient Earth race called Atlanteans tapped into the magic energy of this planet. They divided that power into twelve crystals shaped into the signs of the zodiac. Each crystal is capable of harnessing and redistributing the natural mystical energy of the Earth itself. Many of the stones were lost after a great war in Atlantis. The elves managed to save this one: Sagittarius. They placed it down here to keep it safe away from anyone who dared to use its power for malice.”

“The power of the crystal has only been attempted to be harnessed by the reindeer once before. In 1914 Christmas Spirit was at an all-time low because of World War I. We were all desperate for a way to help the world. Without consulting me, M’gann, or the elves, the reindeer snuck down here to tap into the power of the crystal.”

Vixen, who was nearby and listening, gave a loud snort. J’onn shook his head. “Yes, I know it worked. I was getting to that. Focus on your job.”

Kara’s eyes widened as Vixen told him to do something not possible with his sleigh.

J’onn ignored her and continued his story. “On Christmas Eve in 1914, a truce was made. British and German troops sang silent night before meeting in no man’s land to shake hands, exchange souvenirs, and play football. Not a shot was fired all night. It was the only Christmas miracle during any war that has never been seen since. It was because the reindeer harnessed the power of this crystal.”

“All power comes out a price,” J’onn said, looking grave. “It almost killed them. The reindeer couldn’t move for months afterward. M’gann, myself, and the elves had to scramble to figure out how to deliver presents that year. We all swore never to attempt to use this power again unless the world was in danger. We knew the next time would more than likely kill the reindeer. In this case, the litho-titans might kill them first. The reindeer have to fly out into the sky to distribute the magic from their horns.”

Kara couldn’t help but look at the reindeer. Even though they had never gotten along, she didn’t want them to die. She squinted. Were their antlers glowing?

J’onn placed a hand on Kara’s shoulder. “That is where you and I come in, Kara. We have to protect the reindeer while they disperse the power of the zodiac crystal. We must not let the litho-titans even near them. I’m sure the king titan, Ymir, will appear when the reindeer start to disperse the magic. Are you with me, Kara?”

Kara thought about Alex, Lucy, M’gann, and the elves fighting to give the reindeer time. How could she give anything less than her entire being? “Yes.”

He nodded. “Good. The reindeer are almost ready. We must wait until they are.”

Kara went to stand by the wall as the reindeer continued to shake their heads. Their antlers were definitely glowing. A few minutes later, she realized one reindeer wasn’t shaking her head. She could see Cupid staring at her out of the corner of her eye. A minute passed, and Cupid was still staring.

Kara turned sharply to meet Cupid’s look and glared. Cupid ignored the glare and advanced towards her.

“I don’t want to talk to you. Get back to sucking up the magic,” Kara hissed, trying to move away. She was backed against a wall. Cupid snorted.

“I’m glad you’re full of magic. Go stand somewhere else.”

Cupid gave a small whine causing Kara to throw her hands up. “Why? Because you made my life hell after you told that lie; that’s why. I did not bite you. You bit me!”

Cupid stomped her feet.

“What do you mean it was for my own good?” Kara snapped. She got right in Cupid’s face. “Do you know how much crap I had to go through after you lied? And yes! I said crap!”

Cupid licked her cheek and lightly huffed. Kara was stunned.

“You knew my soul mate was down south and that I wouldn’t leave the North Pole to find her if I wasn’t in trouble? I know your specialty is setting people up, but that’s…”

Cupid jerked her head towards the front of the vault where Alex was fighting. Kara blushed. “Yes. She _is_ beautiful.”

“Cupid?” J’onn called out. “You need to take your place.”

Cupid gave Kara’s cheek another lick and moved to her station near the exit of the vault. Kara felt like crying. Cupid said she always liked her.

“Ready?” J’onn called out. The reindeer gave a resounding ‘yes.’ Their horns felt like they were burning, but they could hold on. They _would_ hold on.

“Let’s go!”

The reindeer flew out in a V formation with Kara and J’onn bringing up the ends.

“They’re coming,” M’gann roared, slamming two frost minions together. “Cover them!”

Alex and Lucy took the new weapons the elves handed them. Alex gave her elf an impressed nod. She could do some damage with a quick-reloadable missile launcher. She immediately fired a missile into an oncoming horde.

Alex fired two more missiles before the reindeer flew out of the vault. M’gann threw a chunk of wall ahead of them to clear a path. Alex briefly wondered which building M’gann had ripped that wall off of before focusing on the monsters around her. Did they ever stop spawning?

Kara turned her head to watch Alex as she flew by. Their eyes met.

“You got this!” Alex shouted. She wanted to give Kara every bit of her strength and courage.

She was so focused on Kara she didn’t notice the ice creature aiming his arm at her. Every cell in Alex’s body screamed in the next moment as it felt like a truck had run into her.

Kara froze in midair as she watched Alex take an ice spike to the chest. The spike broke to pieces, but the force of the impact sent Alex flying ten feet back before the vault wall stopped her. She thought about how she had watched an elf die similarly not two hours before. She burned the ice creature that shot Alex to the ground while screaming her name. “Alex!”

Lucy ran to her agent’s side, shooting behind her as she moved. She checked Alex’s pulse then chest before motioning an ‘all clear’ signal. “She’s fine! She’s wearing her vest!”

Kara didn’t move until she saw Alex wave at her to keep going. She rushed to catch up with the pack.

J’onn was fighting off frost minions in the sky when she caught up. She took control of the ice creatures firing spikes from below. Kara multitasked by fighting one and shooting a second with her heat vision before moving onto another pair.

“They’re starting! Be on the lookout,” He shouted as the reindeer started to fly in a tight circle. Slowly, they began to expand their radius.

Kara didn’t need to be on the lookout. A mighty roar that shook the ground came from the north. Every ice creature and frost minion paused in their battle to return the war cry. She turned to see a colossal monster running towards them. He was a dark blue creature wearing thick light blue armor made of ice. His crown and wristbands were golden, and his feet were gray boulders. Kara was most impressed by his massive size. The ground continued to shake with every step he took. His name was Ymir the Frost Giant.

She aimed her heat vision at him, but it deflected off of his armor. J’onn’s shouts distracted her from the frost giant. Kara watched a dozen frost minions drag him down to the ground.

The reindeer bayed their displeasure and pain from the energy in their horns as they dodged ice spikes.

“You will fail, and I shall rule!” Ymir shouted in an ancient human language that was no longer spoken on the planet. Kara only understood half of what he said because her pod had taught her a rare, dying language that was a descendant of a dialect of what he spoke.

Kara flew towards him at full speed with her fists reared back to punch. She grunted as he slapped her out of the way. She smashed hard on the ground. Kara didn’t know if it was her bones cracking or the ice beneath her body.

Ymir decided to ignore the annoying, blonde fly and stop the reindeer from forcing him into hibernation. He shouted at his spawn to do the same.

Kara rose from the ground. She had to do something quickly. The reindeer were crying out for her to help. But how could she? She couldn’t fight Ymir and save them at the same time, and she had no idea where the others were.

Kara froze when she shifted her feet. The cracking sound was definitely coming from the ice. A quick x-ray showed the ice was thinner than it used to be. Kara had learned something about that down south. What did they call it again?

Kara shook the question off and started using hers. Ymir ignored her. He wasn’t worried about the heat. His frost powers were far superior to her heat powers, and she seemed incapable of aiming. She was just missing his feet.

Ymir realized a second too late what her plan was as he fell through the ice in her perfectly cut circle. His shouts rose to the surface as bubbles as he tried to claw his way back up to the ice cap. He succeeded once, but his mass caused the ice to crumble under his fingers. He screamed his anger into the freezing water before forming a solid block of ice around himself. He would never reach the reindeer in time to stop Christmas Spirit from forcing him into hibernation once more.

“Next time,” he thought as he closed his eyes. “I’ll be ready next time.”

“Global warming is a bitch!” Kara shouted, only halfway horrified at her word choice. She knew Alex would be so proud of her foul language. She could only hope J’onn would be lenient about putting her on the naughty list.

Cupid grunted to get Kara’s attention. J’onn flew up to Kara’s side covered in wounds. “The ice monsters are dying, but Cupid just said they couldn’t last much longer. They took too much power in their antlers, and it’s going to implode. Ymir will rise from the ice when he realizes we failed.”

“We’re not going to fail,” Kara declared. “They can’t handle the power, but I’m sure I can.”

“No! Kara! Don’t! It will kill you!”

She took off before he could stop her. Kara raced around the circle, touching each of the eight set of antlers until the glow of energy left them and entered her body. Each reindeer protested and tried to get away. They would not allow Kara to sacrifice herself. This was their job, and she was an innocent child with so much to live for. However, Kara was faster.

Earth’s power burned in her veins as Kara collected the last of the energy. She imagined walking into the sun would feel the same. But the pain was nothing compared to the pain she felt watching Krypton burn. She could handle pain if it meant saving the Earth if it meant saving Alex.

Kara screamed as she flew around in the same circular pattern the reindeer had. She slowly increased her radius until she was encircling the entire Arctic. Only then did she feel the power start to ease out of her skin. It seemed to wisp out of her pores, her mouth, and her eyes. She cried because it hurt, but that only intensified the pain. She forced herself to keep flying. She kept flying until the last of the energy left her and dispersed to every corner of the world.

*

The zodiac crystal’s power caused the particles at the top of the world to become electrically charged. Those particles collided with the Earth’s gasses to create the largest Aurora Borealis ever seen at the North Pole.

At that moment, around the world, a peace fell over every living creature. They stopped worrying about their infinite troubles and just focused on the true meaning of Christmas. Kindness and love.

*

A cloud of snow flew into the air as Kara landed near the vault. She stumbled to her knees. That had taken a lot out of her, but she couldn’t focus on that right now. She had to make sure everyone was safe.

“You did it!” Alex shouted, running across the courtyard despite her injury. “I knew you could do it. I was betting on you.”

Kara laughed and caught the running Alex in her arms. It was all the energy she could muster at that point. “It was a team effort. We couldn’t have done it if you, Lucy, and M’gann hadn’t fought with us.”

Lucy smiled up at the Northern Lights. “The point is we did it. We forced the litho-titans back into hibernation.”

“And we’ll never be short on Christmas Spirit again,” Alex promised, still holding onto Kara. She soon let go as the pain in her chest seemed to increase as her adrenaline wore off. Something was most definitely broken in there. She was going to need medical attention, and she was sure Kara needed some too. Alex could see how exhausted she looked.

“We did a good job, ladies. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some toys to deliver,” J’onn said. Even though he was bleeding, he shifted into his South Pacific Santa form. He kissed M’gann on the cheek before rushing to his sleigh without the reindeer.

“Will he make it in time?” Kara asked, worried about the children. M’gann smiled, confidently, as she watched him leave. “I’m sure he will. We created jet fuel for exactly this case.”

She turned her attention to Lucy, Kara, and Alex. “So can I offer you ladies some milk? Cookies? Beer? First aid?”

Lucy gently touched the bandage on her face. The blood was frozen to her cheek. She glanced over to see Alex rubbing her chest where the spike had tried to pierce. “I think Kara will take the first two and Alex and I will take the latter.”

Kara was too busy x-raying Alex’s chest to reply to the tease. She kept blinking as her x-ray vision went in and out. The zodiac crystal’s power must have taken some of her own power. She hoped her own powers would return to normal with enough rest.

Alex waved her hand in front of Kara’s eyes. “Hey? What are you doing?”

Kara instantly blushed when she realized it looked like she had been ogling Alex’s breasts. “I was using my x-ray vision. I think some of your ribs are cracked.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” M’gann said. “I’ll fly you three back home after we get you fixed up. Tomorrow is Christmas after all. I’m sure you will want to spend at least part of it at home.”

“Home,” Kara repeated, rolling the word around her tongue. Where was her home?

M’gann moved to kiss her forehead. “We’ll figure your home out later, child. You need to rest.”

Alex squeezed Kara’s side but said nothing. She was too exhausted to make her argument of why Kara should stay with her. She only hoped everyone would agree Kara’s home was with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -collapses- I didn't think we'd get here. I didn't think we'd save Christmas! This chapter fought me the hardest out of all of them. 
> 
> Tomorrow is the end.


	17. December 25th

Kara slowly opened her eyes. She had never felt so tired on Earth before. She tried to roll over as she felt Alex shifting around in bed. “What time is it?”

Kara gratefully settled back down as Alex wrapped around her middle. “It’s a little after nine in the morning.”

Kara wanted to sleep. Even though M’gann had made her sit in the sunlight for hours yesterday as part of her medical treatment, she was still exhausted. However, she also knew she should get up. “Your mom’s going to be here around lunch. We have to get ready.”

“I called and rescheduled the lunch for dinner.”

Kara smiled. Postponing until dinner meant she had more time to sleep. Her eyes shot opened as she remembered something. “We can’t do it then. I mean…I can’t. I told J’onn and M’gann I would return to the North Pole so we could discuss…you know.”

Alex carefully sat up on an elbow so she could see Kara’s face. Her ribs were still very sore. “I do know. That’s why you, me, and Mom are having dinner at the North Pole.”

Kara was stunned. “What?”

Alex nodded. “My mom and I are going with you to the North Pole. I’m going to be there as you make a decision. And Kara, I’ll understand and accept whatever decision you make.”

“Really?” Kara asked, afraid to hope. Alex smiled before gingerly settling back onto her bed. “Yes. You’ve been asleep a lot longer than I have. I spent that entire time thinking. You’re a superpowered alien. There’s no reason why you can’t live up there and date me at the same time. You can make it from National City to the North Pole in what? Five minutes? It’s not like you have to stay up there forever.”

Kara let out a squeal of delight and wiggled in her excitement. Alex groaned, “Don’t move so much. You’re moving my ribs.”

She froze. “You’re amazing, Alex. You found a way, so I don’t have to make a choice yet. I can live at home and date you too. I’ll just work faster. I bet I can ask to be cut back to an 80-hour shift instead of doing 120 hours per week.”

Even the workaholic in Alex was aghast. “120 hours?”

Kara ignored the question and let out a long sigh of relief. “Thank you. You’re incredible, Alex.”

Kara yawned and settled her head back into the pillow. “I could just stay here with you all day. I don’t know why I’m so tired.”

“It probably doesn’t have anything to do with the thousands of ice monsters you killed or the fact you absorbed and dispersed energy harnessed from the Earth,” Alex drawled.

Kara placed a sleepy pat somewhere on Alex’s arm. “Shh. Too early for sarcasm.”

“Is too early for presents?” Alex teased. She felt thoroughly more rested than Kara was despite how her chest ached. “I think Santa came.”

Kara tried to lift her head from the pillow but instantly laid it back down. “Later.”

Alex sighed as she snuggled closer. She was extremely curious about the pile of presents under the tree, but she supposed she would have to wait.

 

*

Kara turned around to evaluate their tree as she brushed her teeth. She mumbled something while pointing at the presents.

Alex looked up from making coffee. “What was that?”

Kara briefly turned around to spit in the sink before trying to speak again. “Where did these presents come from? We didn’t buy them.”

Alex smiled. “I told you earlier that Santa had come.”

“Santa?” Kara repeated. “You let J’onn into your house to deliver presents?”

“I didn’t directly invite the man, no,” Alex acknowledged. “But I left him out a beer and some cookies. They were gone when I got up so I don’t know who else could have done it. I guess it could have been one of those ‘Elf on the shelf’ guys. How do you get a name like Inky or Sparkler?”

“It’s just what their parents named them,” Kara said. She looked over the presents again and squinted. “I can’t see in them. They must be lined with lead.”

“You can’t see through lead?” Alex asked, making an internal note as she took a sip of her coffee. “What other powers do you have by the way?”

She jumped as Kara appeared by her side in a flash. “Brat. I see you’re feeling better.”

Kara smirked. “My powers? Do you mean besides being a perky and cheerful brat?”

Alex grinned. “Yes.”

“I have been told I have the power of being a good kisser,” Kara said, hopeful she would receive a kiss for the statement. She did get a kiss, but it was one on the cheek as Alex dodged around her to sit on the couch. “You’re definitely not bad at kissing.”

Kara tried not to pout. “Is that why I didn’t get one just now? I’m not bad, but I’m not great either?”

Alex laughed and shook her head. “I thought we could try proper dating, and proper dating rules say I can’t kiss you until the end of the first date.”

Kara thought that sounded ridiculous. She flopped onto the couch, trying to figure a way to have a first date in less than two minutes. She leaned her head back and squinted when she saw something.

Kara broke into a smile as she studied the ceiling. Hanging from a thread was a sprig of mistletoe with a tag that read, “You’re welcome. Love, Cupid.”

Alex curiously followed her line of sight and broke into her own grin. She said, placing her coffee cup aside, “Well, this changes everything. I mean, look what happened the last time we didn’t kiss under the mistletoe. We broke the tradition. Kissing under the mistletoe means warding off evil spirits. The Litho-titans came to life because we didn’t do it. As I’ve been saying, we have to adhere to tradition.”

“So…kissing?” Kara asked, looking hopeful.

“Kissing,” Alex agreed, leaning to meet her halfway. A sound of a buzzer stopped them in their tracks. Kara glanced down through the apartment and leaned back onto the couch with a sigh. “It’s your mom. I’ll go let her in.”

Kara moved to stand and yelped when she was pulled back down. Even though it hurt Alex’s ribs, she leaned over to kiss her. “My mom can wait ten seconds. Tradition, remember?”

Kara closed her eyes as she savored the kiss. She could grow to love this tradition. Another buzz was heard seconds later, and she sped to the door to let Eliza in the building.

*

Kara adjusted her new human clothes. It was stuffy in the Arctic-rated parka, and she couldn’t quite put her arms down. She was only wearing it because Eliza said she had too.

Alex misunderstood her fidgeting for nervousness and took her hand. “It’s going to be okay. You’re a hero now.”

Kara stopped shifting and sighed. She didn’t feel like a hero the longer they rode in the helicopter to the North Pole. She had offered to fly Alex and Eliza up there in her arms, but M’gann had insisted on flying them in the copter. Eliza agreed it would be more comfortable that way.

“There’s going to be a big celebration,” M’gann called back form the pilot’s seat. “The elves have been cooking all day. We’re not just celebrating another Christmas well done. We’re celebrating saving the planet. Kara, you and Alex are our special guests of honor. J’onn went to fetch Lucy.”

Eliza beamed at her child. “I’m so proud of you, Alexandra.”

Alex swallowed back the sudden lump in her throat. “Thank you, Mom. But I’m still mad at you for never telling me Santa Claus was an alien.”

Eliza chuckled. “There are so many things you aren’t ready to hear, Alex.”

Alex sat forward as far as her harness would allow her. “Like what? What else is real? The Easter bunny? The tooth fairy? Speak up, woman.”

M’gann and Eliza laughed at her while Kara shook her head when she was giving a questioning glare by Alex. “Don’t look at me. No one tells me anything.”

Alex let out a sound of displeasure and crossed her arms. She was going to find out about the tooth fairy if it killed her.

*

J’onn held up his glass of milk. “A toast.”

Every elf, human, and alien raised their own glasses filled with milk, mead, Sprite, and beer.

“To the fallen.”

A soft cheer spread through the feasting hall. J’onn raised his glass to a new plaque that hung on the East wall before everyone joined him in a sip. Kara couldn’t look at the plaque for too long without tearing up. There were so many names of fallen elves. She knew she would build them a monument one day even though they had been jerks. They had given it their all just as their ancestors had done.

J’onn looked to the left and right of his head table where Lucy, Vasquez, Kara, Alex, Eliza, and M’gann sat. “To our friends from down south.”

“Here, here,” The elves, Vasquez, and Eliza called out as the reindeer cheered from their cots along the sides. They were too tired to stand, but they had insisted on attending the feast.

“To our own Kara Zor-El.”

 Kara blushed as the room erupted in shouts and cheers. She saw dozens of elf hats fly into the air as they applauded. Alex clapped as hard as her ribs would allow.

“And,” J’onn said once the room quieted, “To us. May we all be here to protect the Christmas Spirit and the world.”

Everyone drained their cups and passed around jugs to refill them.

J’onn remained standing. “Now, before we begin our feast, we have one other matter to take care of. Kara, please stand.”

She almost knocked over her chair in her rush to get to her feet. She would have knocked it over if Vasquez hadn’t caught it. She gave the woman a grateful look before turning to face J’onn.

“Kara Zor-El, twenty-six days ago I gave you a mission. You had to increase the Christmas Spirit of National City’s FBI department and teach a certain, grumpy FBI agent the true meaning of Christmas by Christmas Eve. Not only did you accomplish that, but you also risked your life to save us and the world from the Litho-titans. We owe you a debt that can never be repaid. I think we owe you the highest place of honor we can give.”

A collective whisper of agreement went across the room of elves. Kara fidgeted, waiting for J’onn to say what she wanted to hear. Finally, she blurted it out. “So I can come home?”

J’onn, the elves, and the reindeer cheerful laughed. “Of course you can come home, Kara, but I’m talking more than that. The elves, reindeer, and I have spoken. We want you to be the next Santa Claus.”

A round of cheers went up across the room. The only ones not cheering where the humans and aliens at the front table.

“But what…what does that mean?” Kara asked. She shared a wide-eyed look with Alex, before focusing on J’onn. “ _You_ are Santa Claus.”

He smiled as he shrugged. “For now. I have done this a long time, and I don’t mind handing on the title to a worthy soul. You have proven yourself, Kara Zor-El, and the elves and reindeer would be happy to call you Santa. You could apprentice under me fulltime for a year or two and naturally take over.”

Kara’s mind raced with possibilities. It was a fantastic offer. She knew she could do a great job at it, but there was a hitch. When J’onn said full-time, he meant _fulltime_. He rarely got a break. He only spent time with his wife because she lived with him. Kara would never have time to fly down and visit Alex. And she knew there was no chance of Alex moving up there to be with her.

Kara looked down at Alex who was smiling at her. “Go on. You’re never going to get a better offer.”

Did Alex know what that meant? Kara wondered. She studied Alex’s eyes and knew she did. There was sadness behind them.

“What do you say, Kara?” J’onn asked. “Will you come home to be Santa Claus?”

Kara smiled at Alex. “No.”

J’onn shook his head as if he couldn’t believe his ears. He appeared shocked. “What?”

M’gann rolled her eyes. He was overselling his acting. They both knew what Kara was going to say to the offer.

Kara watched Alex’s face break out into hope, and she knew she had made the right decision. “I’m sorry, but no. I can’t be Santa Claus. That’s your job. I wish to stay down south with the humans, with Alex. I finally know where I belong.”

J’onn smiled and raised his glass again. “Another toast. To Kara moving down south. May she find happiness and adventures!”

Everyone in the room shouted their agreement and then their pleasure as the food was brought in. Kara laughed as Alex tugged her back down in her seat. “I did it. I said no.”

Alex smiled. She raised her own bottle of beer and held it out to Kara. “Here’s to our happiness and adventures.”

Kara tapped her own glass against the bottle. She leaned forward to whisper, “And kissing? I really like that.”

“You know there’s more than kissing right?” Alex whispered back, grateful her mother was on the other end of the table. Kara’s eyes widened. “More than kissing? Is it fun?”

“If you do it right.”

Lucy and Vasquez could hear their whispering and shared an amused smile.

Kara looked worried. “What if I do it wrong?”

“It’s still fun,” Alex promised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -bellows- On the TWELFTH day of Christmas (cause it is), my true love gave to me  
> twelve lady kisses,  
> eleven secret presents,  
> ten agents dancing,  
> nine sprigs of mistletoe,  
> eight reindeer rambling,  
> seven (thousand) ice monsters idling,  
> six Winn song covers,  
> five awesome guns,  
> four Christmas movies,  
> three broken ribs,  
> two potstickers,  
> and some packs of holiday beer.
> 
> Happy Holidays everyone! (P.S. If you can think of better lyrics for the song above let me know in the comments. I'll update it.)


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